A Queens man forced a teenage girl into prostitution and beat and threatened the victim into having sex with strangers out of a borough senior citizen residence, officials said Friday.
Joseph Gilbert, 26, of St. Albans pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of attempted sex trafficking in connection to the case involving a 16-year-old victim, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown announced.
Gilbert will be sentenced to up to eight years behind bars on Jan. 25.
“In pleading guilty, the defendant has now admitted to coercing a teen girl — just 16-years-old –into prostitution,” Brown said. “The youngster suffered greatly, but managed to escape the clutches of the defendant. She will, however, have to live with the memory of this experience for the rest of her life.”
Prosecutors say from December 2016 to March 2017, Gilbert forced the teenager into having sex dates with strangers.
Gilbert also made the victim, who he had work out of a Jamaica senior citizen residence, turn over all the money she made to him, prosecutors charge.
When the victim expressed to Gilbert that she no longer wanted to engage in prostitution, Gilbert violently beat her and threatened her, according to officials.
In March of last year, the teen finally broke free and ran away, ultimately reporting to police where Gilbert operated, which led to his arrest, Brown said.
Prosecutors say the victim was living with Gilbert and an older drug-addicted resident of the facility.
Gilbert’s lawyer, Anthony Rattoballi, did not immediately return a request for comment.