Kentucky man charged with human trafficking after Hillview prostitution sting

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Kentucky man was arrested in Hillview Sunday night after police said he was caught transporting a human trafficking victim.

According to court documents, 41-year-old Ralph Gentry, of Lawrenceburg, was arrested by officers with the Hillview Police Department just after 11 p.m. Sunday.

Police said an undercover officer set up a meeting with the 42-year-old human trafficking victim, who was supposed to provide sexual favors to him for $300. That victim was supposed to meet the undercover officer at a vacant home in Hillview.

Police said when the victim arrived, she called the undercover officer as planned, and that officer saw a black Lincoln MKZ pull up to the vacant home.

Gentry was the driver of the vehicle, and the victim was the passenger, according to court documents. Police said Gentry was not wearing his seat belt and both he and the victim admitted to smoking marijuana.

The alleged human trafficking victim had been arrested by the same officer for prostitution a few months earlier, according to police.

Police said officers conducted a vehicle search and allegedly found a small black ledger containing detailed information about several people -- mostly females. They also found a backpack containing about $12,000 in cash wrapped up in rubber bands.

The woman denied being a human trafficking victim, according to police, and told the officer that, "half of the money is mine. I give it to him to hold on to, and he gives it to me when I need it." According to arrest reports, she admitted that the money was for prostitution, and she used Gentry for transportation.

When confronted, Gentry allegedly told officers that all of the money was his, and he only told the woman to say that half of it was hers. Police then asked Gentry to explain why the woman would say the money was paid for prostitution services, and Gentry allegedly replied, "No way that I would have told her to say that, because then you all would seize the money."

Gentry was charged with human trafficking, failure to wear a seat belt and possession of drug paraphernalia.

He is currently being held in the Bullitt County Detention Center.