Long Island Man Gets 12 Years For Trafficking Woman, 18, Without Home: DA

RIVERSIDE, NY — A Shirley man was sentenced Wednesday to 12 years in prison in connection with luring a woman with no place to live to Suffolk with the promise of shelter, but then forcing her to engage in sexual acts with others in exchange for money to repay him, District Attorney Ray Tierney said.

The sentence for Javesh Persaud, 34, will be followed by 20 years of post-release supervision.

Tierney said Persaud "took advantage of the victim who was in a vulnerable situation and subjected her to cruel and inhumane acts for his own personal gain."

“This sentence not only gives justice to the victim but also sends a message that human trafficking will not be tolerated in Suffolk County," he added.

In October, Persaud pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking by force, as well as first-degree criminal sexual act, and three counts of sex trafficking. Other charges include one count of second-degree promoting prostitution, and one count of third-degree promoting prostitution and criminal sexual act.

His attorney, Jason Bassett of Central Islip, declined comment.

In July 2023, Persaud met the 18-year-old woman, who was sleeping on subways in Manhattan, on Omegle, the defunct online chat platform that randomly paired strangers online for virtual chats and video conferencing, and he claimed he helped people who were without homes and offered her clean clothes, a shower, food, and a place to sleep, prosecutors said.

He picked her up in Manhattan the same day and drove her to a parking lot in Shirley, where he parked next to a broken-down car, and told her to put her belongings inside, then informed her she would be sleeping there with him, according to prosecutors.

The woman, whom had no friends, family, or contacts in Suffolk, complied, and the next day,
Persaud began to force her to engage in sexual acts with strangers in exchange for money
that he kept for himself, prosecutors said.

On Sept. 1, 2023, while Persaud was not in her presence, she contacted Polaris, the
National Human Trafficking hotline, to ask for help, and counselors immediately reached out Suffolk police, and officers were dispatched to recover the woman, according to prosecutors.

The Human Trafficking Investigations Unit of the police department began an investigation with the DA’s Hate Crimes, Elder Abuse, Anti-Bias, Human Trafficking unit, and arrested Persaud shortly thereafter.

Tierney's office reminded the public to report suspicious activity and that there is help for those who need it.

Police can always be reached by calling 911, and the DA's office's H.E.A.T. Tipline can be reached at 631-852-2950. The National Human Trafficking Hotline, operated by the Polaris Project, can be reached at 1-888-373-7888, or by texting “HELP” or “INFO” to 233733.