DA VANCE ANNOUNCES GUILTY VERDICT IN TRIAL OF MANHATTAN SEX TRAFFICKER
Last week, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., announced the conviction of LEON BROWN, a/k/a “SEAN BROWN,” 31, for forcing a teenage girl to work as a prostituted woman and violating an order of protection to harass her while the defendant was imprisoned at Rikers Island. BROWN was found guilty by a jury in New York State Supreme Court of Sex Trafficking, Promoting Prostitution in the Third Degree, and Criminal Contempt in the Second Degree. He is expected to be sentenced on September 16, 2013.
“Sex traffickers like Leon Brown use physical, emotional, and financial coercion to profit from their victims’ bodies,” said District Attorney Vance. “I want to commend the victim for bravely testifying against her trafficker at trial – a person who branded her, beat her, and took every dollar she earned, keeping her in constant fear for her safety. I encourage anyone who may be a victim of sex trafficking, or who knows someone coerced into prostitution, to contact my Office’s Human Trafficking Hotline at (212) 335-3400. Help is available for those in need.”
As proven at trial, beginning in 2009, BROWN recruited a 17-year-old girl to work for him. He used physical violence, threats of harm, and psychological manipulation to compel her to engage in acts of prostitution and turn over all the money she earned. BROWN also branded the victim with his pimp name, “Sean the Don,” and required the victim to regularly report back to him. When the victim failed to follow the defendant’s rules or meet his quota of earnings, he would beat her and strike her with a belt or stick. Approximately $200,000 in cash was recovered from BROWN’s home.
In direct violation of an order of protection, BROWN also harassed the victim during multiple phone calls made from Rikers Island.
Assistant District Attorney Carolina Holderness handled the prosecution of the case with assistance from Assistant District Attorney Samuel David, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys John Temple, Attorney-in-Charge of the Human Trafficking Program, Martha Bashford, Chief of the Sex Crimes Unit, Audrey Moore, Chief of the Special Victims Bureau, and Executive Assistant District Attorney Karen Friedman-Agnifilo, Chief of the Trial Division. Human Trafficking Specialist Melissa Martinez and Trial Preparation Assistants Chloe Goodwin and Alexandra Jung provided valuable assistance with the case.
District Attorney Vance thanked Detective Jessica Sterling of the NYPD Vice Enforcement Division’s Human Trafficking Team for her assistance with the investigation.
Defendant Information:
LEON BROWN, a/k/a “SEAN BROWN”, D.O.B. 5/3/1982
Bronx, NY
Convicted:
- Sex Trafficking, a class B felony, 3 counts
- Promoting Prostitution in the Third Degree, a class D felony, 2 counts
- Criminal Contempt in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 1 count