Miami Beach, FL - A South Florida doctor has been arrested on charges of human trafficking after allegedly engaging in sexual activity with underage girls.
According to court records, Dr. Jefferey David Kamlet, a 68-year-old doctor was arrested on Thursday and charged with human trafficking, using a computer to lure a child to engage in sexual conduct, soliciting unlawful sexual activity with a minor, and delivering a controlled substance to a child.
Police say the charges stem from Kamlet's alleged involvement with two girls, aged 16 and 17, between April and August of 2022.
The mother of the 16-year-old was able to locate her daughter's cellphone to a Miami Beach condo, and when police arrived, they found Kamlet with the girls.
Kamlet reportedly told police the girls had wanted to stay with him to avoid a man with a gun who was trying to prostitute them, and that he had met them on the dating app Tinder.
Kamlet claimed that the girls showed him identification stating that they were 18 years old, but the girls indicated that they didn't have identification, and officers informed Kamlet that they would be taken to headquarters and returned to their parents since they were minors.
After police recovered the girls from his apartment, Kamlet and the 17-year-old continued to stay in touch via social media apps.
According to prosecutors, Kamlet allegedly solicited and purchased sex from the 17-year-old on at least two different occasions, taking her back to his condominium and even giving her cocaine.
Court documents state that Kamlet agreed to pay the 17-year-old $600 for sex and texted her, "they can own the world if she stays off drugs and they have chemistry."
During Kamlet's court appearance on Friday, his attorney asked the judge to set a bond, claiming that he was not a flight risk.
Kamlet also begged the judge to let him go, saying, "Your honor, I think if I spend the weekend here I die."
Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle issued a statement saying, "A mother's fear for the well-being of her daughter helped expose the alleged illegal activities of an individual who may have felt that his wealth and prominence gave him license to do anything. He was wrong. This arrest is another sad example of how easily our children can be targeted for use and abuse."