LI Man Used Drugs, Violence For Control While Sex Trafficking Woman: DA

BAY SHORE, NY — A Long Island man has been indicted for sex trafficking, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney.

Daniel Soto, 37, of Bay Shore, was indicted for sex trafficking and other related charges for allegedly using violence, drugs and manipulation to induce a victim to engage in commercial sex for his profit, the DA said.

"Our office is committed to securing justice for victims of human-trafficking and ensuring that anyone exploiting others is held accountable," Tierney said. "The multi-agency investigation that led to this indictment demonstrates our commitment to building comprehensive trafficking cases against predators."

According to the investigation, beginning in 2024 and continuing into 2025, Soto repeatedly arranged for buyers to engage in sexual acts with a female victim while he kept all the monetary proceeds, the DA said. When she tried to refuse to engage in such acts at Soto’s direction, he allegedly beat her until she complied or withheld drugs from her, knowing that he could use her addiction to manipulate her, the DA said.

Soto was arrested after a joint investigation was conducted by the Suffolk County Police Department’s Human Trafficking Investigations Unit, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office’s Anti-Trafficking Initiative, and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office’s Hate Crimes, Elder Abuse, Anti-Bias, and Human Trafficking (H.E.A.T.) Unit.

On July 14, Soto was arraigned before Acting Supreme Court Justice Karen M. Wilutis for charges including one count of sex trafficking (Force), a Class B violent felony; two counts of sex trafficking, a Class B felony; one count of second-degree promoting prostitution, a Class C felony; and one count of fourth-degree promoting prostitution, a Class A misdemeanor, the DA said.

Wilutis ordered Soto held on $500,000 cash, $3,000,000 bond or $5,000,000 partially secured bond during the pendency of this case, the DA said.

Soto is also currently being held in custody at the Suffolk County Correctional Center on unrelated and pending sexual assault charges, the DA said. He is due back in court on Aug. 13 and faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted of the top count, the DA said.

He is being represented by Katherine Fernandez, who was not immediately available for comment.