DA VANCE: FROILAN ROSADO SENTENCED TO 7-TO-14 YEARS FOR PROSTITUTING TEENAGE GIRLS
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., recently announced the sentencing of FROILAN ROSADO, 39, to 7-to-14 years in state prison for running a prostitution ring with ten teenagers ranging in age from 15- to 18-years old, and trafficking an 18-year-old woman, forcing her to earn him money through prostitution. On August 5, 2015, a New York State Supreme Court jury found ROSADO guilty of all of the charges in the indictment against him: one count of Sex Trafficking, and two counts of Promoting Prostitution in the Third Degree.
“Even though he was convicted of trafficking one individual and promoting
the prostitution of several others, Froilan Rosado is actually responsible
for facilitating countless rapes, as every sexual act with a 15-year-old
is an assault because they are too young to consent,” said District
Attorney Vance. “Using social media to lure in teenagers, the defendant
targeted runaways and foster children who were desperate for money and
had few options. He preyed on vulnerable young women and profited off
of them, plying them with drugs and threatening violence.
“Though my Office secured a conviction in this case, weak and outdated
sex trafficking laws continue to hamper these prosecutions. New York is
one of only four states in the country where Sex Trafficking convictions
require proof of force, fraud, or coercion, even when the victim is a
child. That means that even if a victim is too young to legally engage
in sexual activity, the law still requires us to prove that he or she
was forced. The penal code must be changed to recognize the fact that
children do not have the legal, psychological, or emotional capacity to
consent to sexual activity, as reflected in our statutory rape laws. This
view of children should not change simply because there is an exchange
of money.”
As proven at trial, from approximately November 15, 2014, through December 19, 2014, ROSADO ran a prostitution ring made up of approximately ten young women, ranging in age from 15- to 18-years old, and trafficked an 18-year-old woman in the ring, forcing her to earn him money through prostitution. ROSADO advertised their commercial sexual services on Backpage.com, and drove victims to respondents’ apartments and hotel rooms across New York City. If the victims did not obey ROSADO’s rules, including giving him half of the money they brought in, he would yell at them and make violent threats. In one instance, ROSADO choked a teenager who did not obey him, grabbing her by the throat and throwing her out of the car while it was stopped, then forcing her to have sex with a client. The defendant also used cocaine, prescription drugs, and marijuana to keep the victims under his control. ROSADO was apprehended while sitting in his van with a pregnant 16-year-old girl outside of a Midtown hotel where NYPD officers were conducting a prostitution sting.
Assistant District Attorneys James Lynch and Erin Reid handled the prosecution of this case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Jennifer Dolle; John Temple, Chief of the Human Trafficking Response Unit; and Martha Bashford, Chief of the Sex Crimes Unit, as well as Executive Assistant District Attorneys Audrey Moore, Chief of the Special Victims Bureau, and John Irwin, Chief of the Trial Division. Special Victims Social Worker Melissa Martinez-Valdes assisted with the case, as did Trial Preparation Assistants Wilmica Trenard and Rachel Kroll.
District Attorney Vance thanked the NYPD’s Vice Enforcement Division, including Detectives Richard Carrera and Georgia Lessey.
Defendant Information:
FROILAN ROSADO, D.O.B. 6/16/1976
Bronx, NY
Convicted:
- Sex Trafficking, a class B felony, one count
- Promoting Prostitution in the Third Degree, a class D felony, two counts
Sentenced:
- 7-to-14 years in state prison