BRONX MAN INDICTED FOR SEX TRAFFICKING OF WOMAN HE ASSAULTED AND PLIED WITH HEROIN TO KEEP HER AS PROSTITUTE
Authorities Suspect Other Victims; Encourage Them to Come Forward
Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man has been indicted on charges of Sex Trafficking, Promoting Prostitution, Coercion, Assault and other related charges for beating a woman and getting her addicted to heroin to force her to engage in prostitution.
District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant allegedly forced the victim to engage in sex with men for months, using subtle coercion as well as brazen violence. He allegedly provided heroin to the victim until she was addicted. Such degradation of a human being is the mainstay of sex trafficking, and my Office’s Human Trafficking Unit will prosecute it to the fullest extent of the law.”
District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Devorn Parker, 31, AKA “West,” of 901 Alexander Avenue, the Bronx, was arraigned today on three counts of Sex Trafficking, second, third and fourth-degree Promoting Prostitution; first and third-degree Coercion, three counts of third-degree Assault, two counts of second-degree Aggravated Harassment, second-degree Assault, three counts of first-degree Criminal Contempt, first and third-degree Stalking and second-degree Criminal Contempt before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Margaret Clancy. Bail was set at $250,000. The defendant is due back in court on November 20, 2019. If convicted of the top charge, the defendant faces a maximum determinate sentence of 25 years in prison.
Anyone who may have been victimized or may have information about other victims of alleged sex trafficking by this defendant are encouraged to call the NYPD Human Trafficking Hotline at 646-610-7272.
According to the investigation, between November 2018 and May 2019, the defendant allegedly operated a scheme of prostitution and sex trafficking from his apartment and local motels. Between February 2019 and May 2019, he allegedly forced a 33-year-old victim to engage in prostitution by means of instilling fear in her that if she did not comply, he would cause physical injury or death. He also allegedly unlawfully provided a narcotic drug to one of his victims with intent to impair her judgement in order to coerce her to continue to engage in prostitution. When the victim attempted to escape the life of prostitution, and reported him to police, he repeatedly forced her back through physical violence and coercion.
According to the investigation, the defendant was arrested on February 24, 2019, for punching one of his victims; on May 9, 2019 for banging the same victim’s head against a floor, and on June 22, 2019, for following the victim and continuing to attempt to assault and threaten her.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Johnathan Vega of the Human Trafficking Unit and Sean Doddy of the Domestic Violence Bureau, under the supervision of Stephen Knoepfler, Chief of the Human Trafficking Unit, and the overall supervision of Joseph Muroff, Chief of the Special Victims Division.
District Attorney Clark thanked Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Reilly of the Human Trafficking Unit and Human Trafficking Advocate Rhayvan Jackson-Terrell for their assistance. District Attorney Clark thanked 43rd Precinct Domestic Violence Officers and NYPD Detective James Rufle of the Vice Enforcement Division Human Trafficking Team for their work in the investigation.
An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.
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