Prostitution Ring Bust: Men Trafficked Teenagers From Brooklyn Motels, Prosecutors Say

EAST NEW YORK, BROOKLYN — Two East New York men allegedly prostituted a group of teenaged girls whom they lured to New York then drugged, beat and raped, prosecutors said.

Jonathan “Jayo” Harris, 25, and Tariq “Ricky” Washington, 23, are accused of prostituting nine young women, most of whom were about 15-years-old, whom they lured from Philadelphia, Baltimore and Cleveland on Backpage.com, according to Brooklyn prosecutors.

Harris and Washington kept the girls in Brooklyn motel rooms from March, 2015, to December, 2016, where they forced the teenagers to have sex with men for payment, drugging and beating the girls when they refused to work, said prosecutors.

The pair were caught when an 18-year-old victim, who had followed her 17-year-old friend to Brooklyn from Philadelphia, escaped and told the NYPD she had been beaten and raped, prosecutors said.

Harris was arraigned on Friday and Washington was arraigned on Tuesday in Brooklyn Criminal Court on charges of sex trafficking, promoting prostitution and rape, among other charges listed in a 39-count indictment, prosecutors said.

The two men were held on $250,000 and each face up to 25 years in prison and a sex offender registration if convicted, prosecutors said.

“These defendants allegedly preyed on vulnerable young women, luring them to New York City to work as prostitutes – and in several cases drugging and using physical violence against those who refused,” said Acting District Attorney Eric Gonzalez in a statement.

“I intend to hold them fully accountable for these despicable acts.”

Harris' attorney did not respond to a request for comment and contact information for Washington's attorney was not immediately available.

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