By Carlotta Mohamed
A Richmond Hill man was sentenced to three years in prison Wednesday after raping a 14-year-old teenage girl in February 2016, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.
Albert Premnauth, 24, of Jamaica Avenue in Richmond Hill, was found guilty last month of second-degree rape, second-degree criminal sexual act and endangering the welfare of a child. Acting Supreme Court Justice Peter Vallone Jr., who presided at the trial, sentenced Premnauth to three years in prison to be followed by 10 years post release supervision.
“The defendant in this case forced the girl to have sex with him, even though she cried and literally begged not to be raped,” Brown said. “A jury weighed all the evidence presented at trial and found the defendant guilty.”
According to Brown, in early 2016 the 14-year-old victim sent a naked video of herself to her 14-year-old female friend as a joke on Snapchat. Unfortunately, the victim’s friend shared the video with her 18-year-old male friend, who allegedly owed Premnauth money for marijuana. The male friend had blackmailed the victim, threatening to post the video online if the victim did not engage in sex with Premnauth to pay off his debt.
“This case tragically demonstrates how dangerous it is for youngsters to take explicit photos or videos of themselves and then send them to others — even those they consider to be trusted friends. Once an image is sent, the sender loses all control over where that image goes next,” Brown said.
A meeting was arranged on Feb. 20, 2016, where the victim met Premnauth at his Jamaica home, according to Brown. The girl told Premnauth that she was just 14 and begged him to give her time to pay the money the friend owed. But the defendant refused, forcing her to have sex and then giving her $100 cash and a pair of Beats by Dre headphones as payment. Both the cash and the headset were given to the 18-year-old, who sold them to pay Premnauth.
Premnauth will be required to register as a sex offender, Brown said.
Reach reporter Carlotta Mohamed by e-mail at cmoha
