Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man was indicted on kidnapping and sex trafficking charges for selling teen girls for sex, and on rape charges for the attack of a 14-year-old girl.
District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant allegedly raped a 14-year-old and trafficked at least two other teenagers in a Bronx hotel. Thanks to the work of 43rd Precinct officers and the NYPD Human Trafficking Squad, multiple young girls were saved from the vicious cycle of trafficking.”
District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Shamel Jones AKA Shy, 25, was arraigned Monday on first-degree Kidnapping, Sex Trafficking of a Child, second-degree Kidnapping, second-degree Promoting Prostitution, third-degree Promoting Prostitution, Sex Trafficking of a Child, second-degree Promoting Prostitution, two counts of third-degree Promoting Prostitution, second-degree Kidnapping and Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Child, seconddegree Rape, third-degree Rape, and two counts of third-degree Criminal Sexual Act before Bronx Supreme Court Justice George Villegas. The defendant was remanded and is due back in court on June 29, 2022.
According to the investigation, on April 28, 2022, officers were searching for a missing 14- year-old at Hotel 95 at 1275 Pugsley Avenue in the Bronx. Hotel staff informed investigators the missing teen was last seen in a hotel room with Jones. When they arrived at the room, officers allegedly found the defendant with a 17-year-old, and a 14-year-old, whom was not the missing teen they were initially searching for. They also recovered several phones containing naked images of the teens. The images were posted online, allegedly in an attempt by the defendant to traffic the two minors.
Video surveillance was also recovered allegedly showing the original missing 14-year-old entering the hotel with Jones and the two girls previously found by police. The defendant allegedly raped that 14-year-old at the hotel. She was later found by investigators.
District Attorney Clark thanked NYPD Detective Denis Regimbal and Lieutenant Amy Capogna from the NYPD Human Trafficking Squad and NYPD Detective Antonio Pagan formerly of the NYPD Human Trafficking Squad (currently assigned to the Joint NYPD_FBI Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force) for their work in the investigation. District Attorney Clark also thanked Sgt. Joseph Bermudez, Police Officer Anderson Rosa, and Police Officer Nestor Melendez of the 43 Precinct for their work in the investigation.
An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.
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