HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- A bail bondsman is facing charges because he allegedly freed women from jail on the condition that they would have sex or perform sexual acts on him.
Vladimir Tarabay, 60, of Fast Bail Bonding was recently arrested and charged with two counts of threat, intimidation for money, and forcible sodomy.
A woman who said she was violated came forward to talk about the experience.
"I don't know what gave him the impression that I would do that,” said Jennifer Smith. "I've never had a bondsman do that to me ever.”
Smith was charged with Grand Larceny and she contacted Fast Bail Bonding for help.
"We did some paperwork,” Smith said. “He took a picture of me.”
“He said you're going with me,” Smith said. “Fine. I didn't understand why I had to go with him to the car.”
Smith said she gave Tarabay $500 of her $1,500 bond to get out of the Henrico jail.
While the two sat in the jail's parking lot, she said Tarabay pulled his pants down and told her to perform a sex act on him for the remaining balance.
“No, that's not what I do,” Smith responded. “He immediately went in his glove compartment pulled out a pair of cuffs, and cuffed me and took me back into the jail.”
Smith eventually got out of jail.
Now Tarabay is locked up, accused of accepting sexual favors from jail inmates who didn't have enough money to get out on bond.
"Inmates that didn't have enough money to get their self out of on bond, he would accept a small amount or sexual favors ,” said Henrico Sheriff Mike Wade.
Sheriff Wade told WTVR CBS 6 reporter Sandra Jones in an exclusive interview that the investigation began after at least two alleged victims came forward.
"It's something we've heard of and tried to investigate in the past, but until we got these two women who came forward, and agreed to cooperate, it really started the ball rolling,” Wade said.
Smith said she wanted other victims to speak out.
"I am not the only one,” said Smith. "You still need to come up and tell somebody because that is a violation. And he does not have the right to do that to us."
Tarabay remains on bond. He has a scheduled bond hearing in Henrico’s General District court at 11 a.m. Wednesday.
The Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office is asking potential victims to call their office at 804-501-5365.
