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Posted on: October 07, 2024 09:30 AM

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Corona man pleads guilty to sex trafficking of migrant teenager

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Alfredo Morocho pleaded guilty yesterday to sex trafficking charges for targeting and exploiting a migrant teenager into prostitution and paying her for sex. For months, Morocho brokered sex encounters between customers and the teen at locations around Queens, then pocketed money from the encounters.

District Attorney Katz said: “This defendant brazenly sex trafficked an underage child around Queens County and made money off her degrading sexual encounters. He exploited a child and will now serve eight years in prison. My office is dedicated to eradicating sex trafficking in our communities, and we stand with the survivors as we dismantle this harmful industry.”

Morocho, 38, of 110th Street in Corona, pleaded guilty before Justice Peter Vallone, Jr. to two counts of sex trafficking of a child, five counts of promoting prostitution in the second and third degrees, and two counts of patronizing a person in prostitution in the third degree. Morocho was also charged in a criminal complaint with bail jumping in the second degree after failing to appear in court after a 2018 arrest. The defendant is expected to receive a sentence of eight years in prison on October 24, 2024. The Queens District Attorney’s Office recommended a sentence of twelve years in prison.

According to the charges in the indictment:

  • Morocho met the 17-year-old victim and her friends at a deli in Jamaica in November 2023. After informing Morocho of her age, the defendant told her he could get her prostitution customers. Morocho later asked for semi-nude photos of the victim to send to customers.
  • Between December 1 and March 5, Morocho picked the victim up at her migrant shelter and drove her to an apartment in Corona and to other locations to engage in sex for money.
  • For the sexual encounters, customers gave Morocho cash, which he controlled and gave the victim half only at the end of the day.
  • In addition to profiting from her prostitution, Morocho paid for sex with the victim between November and March.
  • On March 6, Morocho arrived with the victim at the Renaissance New York Flushing Hotel at Tangram. Upon arriving, Morocho met with an undercover officer to negotiate the price of sex with the victim and was placed under arrest shortly thereafter.
  • Morocho was in possession of a business card advertising “in-calls” with a phone number linked to hundreds of online prostitution advertisements.

The sex trafficking investigation was conducted by Detective Michael McGovern and Detective Kevin Deleon of the New York City Police Department Human Trafficking Squad, under the supervision of Sergeant Kevin Kavanagh, Lieutenant Amy Capogna, Captain Thomas Milano and under the overall supervision of Chief Carlos Ortiz.

(From Queens DA's Office)

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