Two 13-year-old Brooklyn girls were nearly pimped out, but rescued
after one teen’s uncle arranged for a fake “date” with her, prosecutors
said Monday.
The disturbing prostitution case from last summer came to light after
two men and two women were officially charged for trying to sell the two
teens for sex.
“These defendants are accused of disgraceful actions involving young
girls who should be protected, not exploited,” said Brooklyn District
Attorney Kenneth Thompson. “Luckily, the young girls who were abducted
are now safe and their abusers will now face justice.”
The two girls met Marcus (Melo) Sumpter, 25, when they returned from a
party on Aug. 30, 2014. They joined him at his Bedford-Stuyvesant
apartment and had sex, prosecutors said.
The next day, he allegedly talked them into working as hookers and a
woman named Jasmine Goldstein took scantily clad photos of them, which
she tried — but apparently failed — to post on Craigslist.com, a source
said.
It was around that time that a concerned uncle texted one of the girls,
but the troubling response seemingly came from one of the suspects.
“Want a date?” the text said.
“Yes,” the shrewd relative replied. He came to the apartment, paid and took the girl home, prosecutors said.
Goldstein then allegedly moved the second girl to another apartment at
the same Classon Ave. brownstone, controlled by Joann Bailey, 55, and
Jerry Brown, 57. They hid her in the bathroom, a source said.
Her family members showed up there on Sept. 1 and eventually rescued her.
“The sexual exploitation of children affects not only the victims and
their family, but society as a whole,” said NYPD Commissioner William
Bratton, whose vice detectives took part in the lengthy investigation.
A 32-count indictment was handed down earlier this month following a
lengthy investigation. Three of the suspects were arrested Friday.
It is not believed the girls were held by force.
Sumpter, who has nearly 2,900 Facebook friends, mostly young ladies,
was ordered held without bail on charges that include kidnapping, rape
and promoting prostitution.
He is facing up to 25 years in prison for the top count. His lawyer said he is not yet familiar with the specific accusations.
Bailey and Brown are being held on bonds of $50,000 and $25,000,
respectively for lesser counts of unlawful imprisonment and others.
Their lawyers didn’t return calls.
Goldstein is still being sought, authorities said.
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