Javesh Persaud, a 34-year-old resident of Shirley, New York, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison. The sentencing follows his guilty plea to charges of sex trafficking and related offenses. Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced the sentence, highlighting the exploitation of a vulnerable woman who was experiencing homelessness.
District Attorney Tierney stated, "This defendant took advantage of the victim who was in a vulnerable situation and subjected her to cruel and inhumane acts for his own personal gain." He emphasized that the sentence serves as justice for the victim and as a deterrent against human trafficking in Suffolk County.
Court documents reveal that Persaud met the 18-year-old victim through Omegle, an online chat platform that is no longer operational. At their meeting in July 2023, the victim was homeless and living in New York City's subway system. Persaud offered her basic necessities such as clean clothes, food, and shelter.
Persaud transported the victim from Manhattan to Shirley, where he made her sleep in a broken-down car. The following day, he began coercing her into performing sexual acts with strangers for money which he retained.
The situation came to light on September 1, 2023, when the victim contacted Polaris—the National Human Trafficking hotline—while Persaud was away. Polaris alerted local authorities leading to an investigation by Suffolk County Police Department's Human Trafficking Investigations Unit along with the DA’s H.E.A.T unit. Persaud was arrested shortly thereafter.
On October 25, 2024, Javesh Persaud pleaded guilty before Acting Supreme Court Justice Karen M. Wilutis.