What to Know
- A man and woman are facing charges for the sex trafficking of a 16-year-old girl in Brooklyn, the local district attorney announced Thursday.
- Kaelin Alexander, a.k.a. Chantz, 23, of Staten Island, was arraigned Thursday in connection to the charges he faces. However, his co-defendent remains unapprehended, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said.
- Both Alexander and his co-defendant, who prosecutors have not yet identified publicly, are variously charged in a 12-count indictment with sex trafficking of a child, second-, third- and fourth-degree promoting prostitution and endangering the welfare of a child.
A man and woman are facing charges for the sex trafficking of a 16-year-old girl in Brooklyn, the local district attorney announced Thursday.
Kaelin Alexander, a.k.a. Chantz, 23, of Staten Island, was arraigned Thursday in connection to the charges he faces. However, his co-defendent remains unapprehended, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said.
Both Alexander and his co-defendant, who prosecutors have not yet identified publicly, are variously charged in a 12-count indictment with sex trafficking of a child, second-, third- and fourth-degree promoting prostitution and endangering the welfare of a child.
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Alexander was ordered to return to court on Jan. 23, 2023. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison and would be required to register as a sex offender. Information on Alexander's attorney was not immediately known.
According to the district attorney, citing the investigation, between Aug. 7 and Aug. 19, the duo made the victim, a 16-year-old girl, engage in sex work in exchange for money in East New York, Brooklyn, walking the track on Pennsylvania Avenue, which is an area known for this activity, while the accused waited in Alexander’s car.
According to the case information, the New York City Police Department subsequently received information regarding the possible sex trafficking of a 16-year-old girl, an investigation kicked off, and the young victim was saved on Oct.17, after an undercover operation was conducted.
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“These defendants allegedly took advantage of a teenage girl, forcing her to repeatedly engage in sex with several men in exchange for money that the defendants took from her," Gonzalez said. "We have no tolerance for this kind of outrageous conduct, and I will continue to hold accountable anyone who criminally exploits vulnerable youth in Brooklyn.”
