'Guilty': Jury Convicts Rai Thomas Of 'Particularly Egregious' Crimes Against Trafficked Teen

MOUNT VERNON, NY — A Westchester man who targeted an at-risk child will pay for his crimes after being convicted in a federal courtroom.

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the FBI Christopher G. Raia announced on Tuesday that a jury returned a guilty verdict against Rai Thomas for sex trafficking of a minor and use of interstate facilities to promote sex trafficking and prostitution.

"Crimes relating to sexual abuse of minors are among the most heinous crimes in our society," Clayton said. "Rai Thomas's actions were particularly egregious because he targeted a teen in crisis and preyed on her when she was at her most vulnerable. This Office is dedicated to protecting the children of New York. This conviction should serve as a lesson: if you target a child—any child—the prosecutors of this Office and our law enforcement partners will bring you to justice."

Thomas recruited the underage girl to engage in commercial sexual activity and caused her to do so on several occasions in hotels in the Bronx and Brooklyn, according to law enforcement.

Thomas recruited the girl from a children's center in the Bronx and enticed her to to engage in commercial sex. He coordinated her transportation to hotels and reserved the hotel rooms in which she engaged in commercial sex. He also advertised those sex services on various websites to customers for commercial sex and profiting from the sex trafficking scheme, according to documents filed in federal court.

"Rai Thomas organized an elaborate sex trafficking scheme across the city to repeatedly exploit a minor victim simply to enrich himself," FBI Assistant Director Raia said. "Thomas targeted an especially vulnerable minor, enticing her into commercial sex work with utter disregard for her wellbeing. The FBI will never tolerate any individual who advertises and uses children as sexual objects to fill their own piggy banks."

The 31-year-old was convicted of sex trafficking of a minor, which carries a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison and a maximum term of life in prison; and use of interstate facilities to promote unlawful activity, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

The case is being handled by the Office's White Plains Division.

Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 13.