A Jamaica man accused of holding a 15-year-old girl in his home for months and forcing her to sell her body for his own profit now finds locked up on sex trafficking and sexual assault charges.
Lance Hamilton, 27, of Foch Boulevard in Jamaica, was arraigned on May 4 on a 45 count indictment, with charges including first- and second-degree kidnapping, second- and third-degree promoting prostitution, compelling prostitution, sex trafficking, second degree assault, third-degree rape, criminal sexual act, first-degree unlawful imprisonment, second degree menacing, aggravated harassment, criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation and endangering the welfare of a child.
According to Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown, the 15-year-old female victim was brought to Hamilton’s home in December 2015, where she was sexually assaulted by the defendant. Hamilton then allegedly stole the victim’s belongings, including her identification, and forced her to have sex in exchange for money over the next several months, which she would be forced to hand over to him.
Hamilton allegedly posted prostitution advertisements of the victim on Backpage.com. When the victim refused to engage in prostitution, prosecutors said, Hamilton repeatedly punched and choked her, and on one occasion, he allegedly pointed a gun at her.
Hamilton is being held on a $750,000 bail and is to return to court on Monday, May 8. If convicted, Hamilton faces up to 25 years in prison.
“The defendant is accused of forcing a teenage girl into having sex dates with men for money. I want to stress that prostitution is not a victimless crime,” Brown said in a statement. “Sex trafficking is an incessant act of brutality and degradation. This teenage girl was finally released but will live with this horrible experience for the rest of her life.”
