By Michael Morton
Barrington Heffenden, 30, of 114-22 158th St., received the three- to six-year jail term in State Supreme Court in Kew Gardens. He had pleaded guilty to attempting to promote prostitution March 9 and admitted that he had tried to profit from prostituting the underage girl, the DA said.”The defendant has admitted his guilt, waived appeal and acknowledged that he committed the crime of trying to prostitute his victim-a 13-year-old child-in a life of exploitation and degradation,” Brown said. “The prison term imposed by the court is more than warranted.”In a related, ongoing investigation, Heffenden is also suspected of making a 15-year-old work as a prostitute, the DA's office said. After the South Jamaica's man arrest in January, he was charged with kidnapping, forced sodomy, promoting prostitution and rape and faced up to 25 years in prison if convicted, Brown said at the time. The DA also said a 16-year-old girl who was living with the suspect was charged as his accomplice. Brown said the 15-year-old ran away from her home in Suffolk County and sought refuge at Heffenden's house because she knew the 16-year-old. It could not be determined how the 13-year-old arrived at the suspect's house.Heffenden wanted the girls to solicit business near South Road and Sutphin Boulevard in Jamaica, Brown said. A law enforcement official earlier had told the TimesLedger the suspect expected them to work without condoms for their customers.The 15-year-old eventually escaped and notified police, who found the 13-year-old at Heffenden's house, the DA said.The older girl was returned home, while the younger girl was put in the foster care system, the law enforcement official said.The 16-year-old accomplice pleaded guilty, another law enforcement official said, but details of her case were not available because she was treated by the court as a minor.Reach reporter Michael Morton by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 154.
