By Howard Koplowitz
A suspected South Ozone Park pimp was indicted by a Queens Supreme Court grand jury Friday on sex trafficking and other charges after he allegedly intimidated and threatened to kill a 19-year-old prostitute who worked for him, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.
Reginald Cooke, 21, of 149-50 Lefferts Blvd. in South Ozone Park, allegedly forced the 19-year-old girl to turn all the money she made as a prostitute to him and beat her if she did not make enough cash, the DA said.
“Sex trafficking is a violent and degrading crime that will not be tolerated,” Brown said in a statement. “This case will be vigorously prosecuted.”
Cooke was arraigned Friday before Queens Supreme Court Judge James Griffin on a 13-count indictment charging the 21-year-old with sex trafficking, promoting prostitution, assault, attempted promoting prostitution, aggravated harassment and conspiracy, Brown said.
Griffin ordered Cooke held on $150,000 bail and ordered the defendant to return to court Oct. 26, according to the DA.
The teen girl worked for Cooke at various “tracks,” or known prostitution locations frequented by prostitutes and their customers, in Flushing, Jamaica, Brooklyn, Nassau County and New Jersey in August, Brown said.
Cooke allegedly advertised the girl’s services on Craigslist and Backpage and the teen was forced to turn all of her money made from prostitution to her pimp, the DA said.
In the month she was a prostitute, the teen lived at Cooke’s South Ozone Park home, where Cooke became increasingly violent and threatened to shoot her if she did not make enough money, Brown said.
In mid-August, Cooke allegedly choked the teen with a belt, hit her in the face and body and threatened to kill her, the DA said.
Cooke was arrested Sept. 9 on gun charges and allegedly repeatedly called the girl from jail, telling her to prostitute herself to raise money for his bail, Brown said.
He is accused of calling the girl again in mid-September and telling her he was going to be bailed out by a family member and that he would kill the 19-year-old because she failed to make enough money to bail him out, Brown said.
Reach reporter Howard Koplowitz by e-mail at hkoplowitz@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4573.
