The first person to be convicted of sex trafficking under the New York Sex Trafficking statute, has been sentenced. The New York Daily News reports that David Brown, 32, was sentenced to 25 years to life for buying a young woman and forcing her to have sex with other men for his own profit.
Mr. Brown bought the 19-year-old victim for $2,000 from an ex-girlfriend. He then prostituted the victim to 30 men in a twelve day period. The North County Gazette reported that the victim was held against her will, threatened with death, and constantly watched to make sure that she did not escape the apartment which served as her prison.
Mr. Brown found some of his male customers through Craigslist. On the website, he posted nude pictures of the victim and marketed her as a sex slave. When the men did pay her, between $60 to $200, Mr. Brown took the money.
In a press release from the Queens County District Attorney's Office, District Attorney Richard A. Brown described Mr. Brown as "exactly the type of criminal that the Legislature had in mind when it enacted New York's Sex Trafficking statute two years ago... This office continues to use every tool available under the law to prosecute dangerous individuals like this defendant and to seek justice for victims."
Mr. Brown is a repeat felon. He was convicted in December of 2009 of: "second-degree kidnapping, sex trafficking, third-degree promoting prostitution, first-degree unlawful imprisonment and third- degree assault." Since Mr. Brown is already a repeat felon, with six prior convictions, Queens Supreme Court Justice Michael Aloise was allowed to enhance the sentence.
The New York Daily News reports that if the New York Sex Trafficking statute had not been in place, Mr. Brown would have only faced a maximum sentence of seven years in prison. Joanna Grossman and Linda McClain explain that the new law "imposes a penalty of 3-25 years in prison for sex trafficking."
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