Bushwick Man Indicted for Sex Trafficking Teenage Girls

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, August 8, 2024

Bushwick Man Indicted for Sex Trafficking Teenage Girls

Allegedly Recruited Two 15-year-olds and a 17-year-old to Engage in Prostitution;

Arrested Following Undercover Sting; His Cousin Allegedly Acted as Driver

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Bushwick man has been arraigned on two indictments charging him with promoting prostitution and sex trafficking of a child for allegedly recruiting multiple victims, including three teenage girls, ages 15 to 17, to engage in prostitution. The defendant's cousin allegedly acted as his driver, picking up one of 15-year-old victims and dropping her off at the defendant's residence. The defendant was arrested at his apartment in Bushwick during an undercover sting.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, "These defendants allegedly exploited three teenage girls, recruiting them to repeatedly engage in prostitution. I am deeply committed to bringing to justice individuals who prey on vulnerable young people in Brooklyn, and we will now seek to hold these two defendants accountable."

The District Attorney identified the defendants as Terrence Rogers, a.k.a., Aura, 33, and Vashorne McClain, 28, of Bushwick, Brooklyn. Rogers was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun on two separate incidents in which he is charged with multiple counts of sex trafficking of a child; second-, third-, and fourth-degree promoting prostitution; third-degree rape; third-degree sexual abuse; sexual misconduct; endangering the welfare of a child; and unlawful dissemination or publication of an intimate image. He was ordered held without bail and to return to court on August 20, 2024. McClain was arraigned on an indictment in which he is charged with sex trafficking of a child, third- and fourth-degree promoting prostitution, and endangering the welfare of a child. He was released without bail and ordered to return to court on September 18, 2024.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, between March 9, 2024, and April 12, 2024, Rogers allegedly recruited a 15-year-old girl to engage in prostitution on multiple occasions from his apartment at Halsey Street in Bushwick. The victim was allegedly introduced to the defendant by a classmate, also 15, who was engaging in prostitution for the defendant at the time. It is alleged that Rogers posted the 15-year-old's photo on a website advertising sexual services. He also allegedly gave her a cellphone and instructed her on how to communicate with customers and how much to charge them.

Furthermore, according to the investigation, Rogers allegedly sexually assaulted the 15-year-old victim on April 12, 2024. More than a month later, the defendant allegedly messaged her on Snapchat and threatened to a post a nude photo of her online unless she continued to engage in prostitution. After the victim returned to the defendant's apartment, he allegedly posted the nude photo on a website advertising sexual services before forcibly touching her.

On June 13, 2024, the victim reported the assault to a school social worker who contacted police. The District Attorney's Human Trafficking Unit and the New York City Police Department then launched an undercover investigation.

On July 3, 2024, an undercover officer responded to a live online advertisement posting for prostitution in Brooklyn with images of the underage victims. The undercover officer called the phone number provided in the advertisement and was directed to the Halsey Street location. Inside the defendant's apartment, the undercover officer made an agreement to have sex with a 22-year-old woman for $100. A field team then raided the apartment. As police were entering, Rogers was allegedly caught leaving the bathroom with a 17-year-old victim who was partially undressed. He was arrested at the location.

Investigators subsequently determined that there were approximately six other women engaging in prostitution at the address.

Investigators also determined that between March 9, 2024, and April 12, 2024, the co-defendant acted as a driver for Rogers, allegedly picking up the 15-year-old victim at her home and dropping her and other women off at the defendant's apartment to engage in prostitution.

The case was investigated by New York City Police Detective Latasha Carter, Detective Joseph Azevedo and Detective Kevin Deleon from the NYPD's Human Trafficking Squad, under the supervision of Sergeant Kevin Kavanagh, Lieutenant Amy Capogna, and Captain Maripily Clase, and the overall supervision of Chief Carlos Ortiz.

The District Attorney thanked Digital Forensic Analyst Richard Rojas from the District Attorney's Digital Evidence Lab for his assistance in the case.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Iorio, of the District Attorney's Human Trafficking Unit, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney David Weiss, Chief of the Human Trafficking Unit, and the overall supervision of Assistant District Attorney Miss Gregory, Chief of the District Attorney's Special Victims Bureau.

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An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant's guilt.

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