Girl, 14, Sexually Exploited; Suffolk Woman And Man Plead Guilty: DA

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — A Huntington Station woman and man pleaded guilty to crimes associated with the sex trafficking of a then 14-year-old girl, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney announced Wednesday.

The woman, 42, faces 10 years in prison after she sex trafficked the child, while the man, 53, faces eight years in prison after he sexually abused the girl, Tierney said. The Suffolk County DA is not releasing the names of the man and woman in order to protect the teenager's identity.

The woman began dating the girl's mother in 2019 and regularly stayed at her apartment, where she lived with three children, including the 14-year-old victim, according to the investigation. The woman regularly watched the girl and her siblings while their mother was at work, officials said.

During these times, the man, who was friends with his co-defendant, began stopping by the apartment, authorities said. The man and woman engaged in predatory grooming behaviors such as talking to the girl about having sex with the man, prosecutors said.

In November 2019, while the girl's mother was at work, the man, who was then 49 years old, picked up the girl from the apartment and brought her to a motel in Huntington where he raped her, investigators said. He then gave the girl cash and told her to give the money to the woman who trafficked her, the DA's Office said.

The woman sold the girl to the man for sex at least three more times over the course of the next year — when the victim was between 14 and 15 years old, prosecutors said. Each time, the woman arranged for the man to take the girl to the same motel where he would subject the girl to sexual acts and then pay the woman who trafficked the girl, investigators said.

All sexual assaults occurred while the woman was caring for the girl and her siblings while their mother was at work, authorities said.

The girl disclosed the sexual abuse to a counselor in August 2022 after one of the girl's younger siblings told her that they were also approached by the woman to engage in similar sexual activity with the man, the DA said. When the girl learned that her sibling was in danger, she disclosed the sexual abuse in order to protect the sibling, investigators said.

Both the man and woman were arrested on Sept. 13, 2023, the DA said.

"These defendants exploited an innocent child for financial gain by trafficking her and committing repugnant acts of sexual exploitation," Tierney said in a news release. "These guilty pleas and ensuing prison sentences will allow the victim to begin to heal from the trauma that she endured, without being subjected to testifying in court against her abusers. My office will continue to support child victims and ensure that sex traffickers and their enablers are held fully accountable for their horrific actions."

The man pleaded guilty on Oct. 2 to one count of aggravated patronizing a minor and two counts of second-degree rape. He is due back in court on Nov. 1 and is expected to be sentenced to 8 years in prison followed by 10 years of post-release supervision.

He will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison, the DA said. He is being represented by William Ferro.

The woman pleaded guilty on Oct. 18 to sex trafficking a child.

She is due back in court on Nov. 21 and is expected to be sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by 10 years of post-release supervision. She will be required to register as a sex offender upon her release from prison, Tierney said. She is being represented by Scott Zerner.