Harlem Child Sex Trafficking Ring Busted: DA

HARLEM, NY — Four Harlem residents, aged between 20 and 24, are accused of running a sex trafficking scheme that forced a 14-year-old into prostitution, prosecutors said.

On Thursday, Nickolous Charles, 21; Brianna Moreno, 20; Alejandrina Ventura, 24; and Wilson-Mariano Ventura, 23, walked into a Manhattan courtroom, facing a slew of criminal charges.

The group targeted a 14-year-old girl, coercing her to engage in acts of prostitution from November 2023 to February 2024, prosecutors said.

“As alleged, these individuals targeted a 14-year-old who frequently ran away from home, abusing her and profiting off of her,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. said.

Prosecutors allege that the four defendants conspired to traffic the 14-year-old child, who frequently ran away from home. Beginning on Nov. 10, 2023, they posted prostitution ads on various escort websites, featuring nude or half-dressed photos of the victim.

Moreno and Charles were allegedly responsible for arranging sexual encounters with the child using multiple phone numbers, including their own, and compensating the defendants. Meanwhile, the Venturas accepted the earnings from this prostitution operation in the guise of "rent" for staying and conducting business in their Harlem apartment, authorities stated.

All four defendants texted each other and the child about the prostitution scheme, set up and provided a place for the encounters and collected proceeds from the commercial sexual acts, Bragg said.

Earlier this year, investigators from the NYPD and the Manhattan D.A.’s Human Trafficking Unit initiated an investigation by tracing the phone numbers linked to the online advertisements, prosecutors said.

“The child’s age is exceedingly common in human trafficking cases and illustrates why my office is fighting to eliminate the statute of limitations for sex trafficking," Bragg said. "This young girl has been put through an unimaginably terrible ordeal, and it is no wonder why it might take survivors more than a very narrow five years to come forward."

All four individuals have been indicted in the New York State Supreme Court on charges of conspiracy and promoting prostitution. Charles, A. Ventura, and W. Ventura face additional charges of sex trafficking of a child. Moreno and Charles were also charged with promoting prostitution.