Man Accused Of Sex Trafficking Child In Washington Heights: DA

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — A 31-year-old Washington Heights man is accused of sexually assaulting and trafficking a boy, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said on Tuesday.

According to Bragg, Matthew Halstead is accused of housing a 16-year-old boy in his Washington Heights apartment from March to August, after the child ran away from Child Protective Services.

Prosecutors allege that Halstead repeatedly sexually assaulted and trafficked the child during this time, taking photos and videos of the child and posting them online to solicit men to pay for sexual acts with the child, Bragg said.

The case was first brought to the attention of the NYPD on Aug. 6 when police responded to what appeared to be a roommate dispute at the Washington Heights apartment, Bragg said.

“These allegations are horrifying, and I thank my Office’s Human Trafficking Unit and our partners at the NYPD for thoroughly investigating and unraveling this alleged sex trafficking operation,” Bragg.

On Tuesday, Halstead received a 104-count indictment charging him with sex trafficking a child, two counts of sex trafficking, and numerous counts relating to promoting and possessing a sexual performance by a child, in addition to criminal obstruction of breathing and endangering the welfare of a child, Bragg said.

The investigation remains ongoing, Bragg said. Halstead's attorney could not be reached for comment.

This is a developing story and may be updated. For questions and tips, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.