It stands vacant now, but this was once a known drug house in the Lakeside Mobile Home Park in North East, and that's where people first became suspicious that 41-year old Stephanie Lee Baen may have been turning tricks for money in the presence of an 11-year old girl.
Linda Dove lives two doors down from the home, and she blames heroin for the plight of the addicts and those who surround them.
"Then these poor ladies are on the street, kicked out, don't have nowhere to go and nothing to sustain them,” said Dove, “I don't understand why an 11-year-old wasn't put into a home or something. Why she didn't choose to do that. You know what I'm saying."
Investigators with the Maryland State Police interviewed the young girl and learned of sex acts performed in vehicles in full view of the child.
According to charging documents, in one alleged incident, a man who agreed to drive the young girl to a friend's house pulled over in the parking lot at the YMCE in Elkton and Baen performed oral sex on him in the back seat while the young girl sat up front.
"We believe that this suspect knowingly engaged in sexual activity in front of this pre-teen child, and there was concern over the effect that it could have on the child," said Ron Snyder with the Maryland State Police.
Tipsters also told police the young girl had been asked to join in sexual encounters in the past and declined, but went on to say, "I can make money if I want to."
It appears their call to report the activity may have saved the girl from a cycle of abuse.
"A lot of people see stuff going on around here and they're afraid to say anything, because of retaliation, but you can't tell what goes on inside a place,” said Dove, “So whoever did that, whoever called, saw it firsthand probably, and even if they were a drug addict or a prostitute or whatever, they didn't like the idea of the kid, because even though they maybe addicts, there's still some that cherish children."
Initially, the suspect told police the child was a compulsive liar, but ultimately she reached a plea agreement to receive a lesser sentence.
