HUNTINGTON STATION WOMAN INDICTED FOR SEX TRAFFICKING A 14-YEAR-OLD CHILD TO A MALE DEFENDANT WHO IS ALSO INDICTED FOR AGGRAVATED PATRONIZING A MINOR FOR PROSTITUTION AND RAPE

(SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y.) – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced the indictment of a 41-year-old woman and 52-year-old man[1], both of Huntington Station, for crimes associated with the sex trafficking of a 14-year-old child.

“This child victim was allegedly sold for sex by a parental figure. No child should ever be subjected to the horrors of sex trafficking, let alone for the financial gain of an adult that they look to for security and love,” said District Attorney Tierney. “Holding sex buyers and human traffickers accountable for creating the demand that fuels the exploitation of children is important, in order to eradicate this scourge from our community.”

According to the investigation, the female defendant began dating the victim’s mother in 2019 and began to regularly stay at her apartment where she lived with three children, including the 14-year-old victim. The female defendant regularly watched the victim and siblings while their mother was at work.

During these times, the male defendant, who was friends with the female co-defendant began stopping by the apartment. Both defendants allegedly engaged in grooming behaviors such as talking to the victim about engaging in sex with the male defendant.

In November 2019, while the victim’s mother was at work, the then 49-year-old male defendant allegedly picked up the victim, then 14 years old, from the apartment and brought the victim to a motel in Huntington, where he allegedly raped the victim. Afterwards, he allegedly gave the victim cash, and directed the victim to give the money to the female defendant.

The female defendant allegedly sold the victim to the male defendant for sex at least three more times over the course of the next year – when the victim was between 14 and 15 years old. In each of these instances, the female defendant allegedly arranged for the male defendant to take the victim to the same motel where he would allegedly subject the victim to sexual acts and then pay the female defendant. All the incidents occurred while the female defendant was allegedly caring for the victim and her sibling while their mother was at work.

The victim disclosed the alleged sexual abuse to a counselor in August 2022, after one of the victim’s younger siblings told the victim that they were also approached by the female defendant to engage in similar sexual activity with the male defendant. When the victim learned that the sibling was in danger, the victim disclosed the alleged sexual abuse in order to protect the sibling. Both defendants were arrested on September 13, 2023.

The female defendant was indicted for the following charges:

• Four counts of Sex Trafficking of a Child, Class B violent felonies;
• Two counts of Promoting Prostitution in the First Degree, Class B felonies; and
• Two counts of Promoting Prostitution in the Second Degree, Class C felonies.

The male defendant was indicted for the following charges:

• Two counts of Rape in the Second, Class D violent felonies;

• Six counts of Criminal Sexual Act in the Second Degree, Class D violent felonies;
• Two counts of Aggravated Patronizing a Minor for Prostitution in the Second Degree, Class D felonies;
• Three counts of Rape in the Third Degree, Class E felonies;
• Five counts of Criminal Sexual Act in the Third Degree, Class E felonies;
• Three counts of Aggravated Patronizing a Minor for Prostitution in the Third Degree, Class E felonies; and
• Six counts of Sexual Abuse in the Third Degree, Class B misdemeanors.

On October 6, 2023, at the female defendant’s arraignment on the indictment, Acting Supreme Court Judge, the Honorable Karen M. Wilutis ordered her held on $250,000 cash, $500,000 bond, or $2.5 million partially secured bond during the pendency of the case. The female defendant is due back in court on November 21, 2023, and she is being represented by Scott Zerner, Esq.

On September 14, 2023, at the male defendant’s arraignment on the felony complaint, the District Attorney’s Office requested that the defendant be held on $500,000 cash, $750,000 bond, or $1 million partially secured bond during the pendency of the case. However, District Court Judge Bernard C. Cheng ordered the defendant released and placed him on supervised release with the probation department over the District Attorney’s objection. The male defendant is due back in court to be arraigned on the indictment on October 17, 2023, and he is being represented by the Legal Aid Society of Suffolk County.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Anne E. Oh of the H.E.A.T. Unit (Hate Crimes, Elder Abuse, Anti-Bias/Immigrant Affairs, Human Trafficking), with investigative assistance from Detective John Paul O’Connor of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Human Trafficking Investigations Unit.

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Criminal complaints and indictments are merely accusatory instruments.

Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. No one is above the law.

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