Arrest Of NYC Couple Accused Of Sex Trafficking Shines Light On What Advocates Call A Widespread Problem
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- We're learning more about a Bronx couple accused of sex trafficking, which community advocates say is widespread in New York City.
Inside an apartments on Bryant Avenue in Hunts Point, the Bronx, is where 51-year-old Sharice Mitchell allegedly told New York state she would foster-parent two teens.
Court papers say she falsely claimed she had not seen her registered sex offender husband for more than a year, but the Manhattan District Attorney says 38-year-old Kareem Mitchell, also known as Napoleon, was living with her, and from 2018 until this week, he sex trafficked the two foster children along with six other women he recruited on Facebook and Instagram.
"So many children in foster care fall victims to human trafficking," said Dr. John Degarmo with the Foster Care Institute. "They want someone to love them, so many times these predators fill them in with false hopes of love."
The DA says Mitchell was physically and verbally abusive and forced the victims to engage in prostitution in cars and hotels in Midtown Manhattan, Harlem and the Upper East and Upper West Sides, as well as Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.
With an over-populated foster care system, it's a situation New York City-based nonprofit Sanctuary for Families sadly sees regularly.
"New York City has long been a hotspot of human trafficking, domestic sex trafficking, as well as international sex trafficking, and all of the conditions are ripe here," said Dorchen Leidholdt, legal director for the Sanctuary for Families' anti-trafficking initiative. "Our hope at Sanctuary for Families is that this will be a wake-up call."
A wake-up call for society and law enforcement.
"So many people have no idea that human trafficking is the second leading crime in our country," said Theresa Flores, founder of Save Our Adolescents From Prostitution.
Experts say there are some signs people may be in a human trafficking situation.
"An inability to get to get separated from an older adult who's not their parent," said Dr. Bruce Kellison, co-director of the Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault at the University In Texas Austin. "Anybody romantically involved with somebody a lot older than them."
In this case, the Mitchells pleaded not guilty and both are currently in jail.
Sharice Mitchell faces up to 75 years in prison and Kareem Mitchell faces up to 100.
The state's Office of Children and Family Services told CBS2 home visits are supposed to occur before and after foster care approval.
A spokesperson released the following statement:
"The New York State Office of Children and Family Services' priority is the safety, health and well-being of children living in foster care, and we are deeply troubled with the allegations in this case. Local social service districts (LDSSs) and contracted foster care providers are required to follow federal and state policies concerning foster boarding home certifications and ongoing monitoring. The certification process for foster homes is rigorous and thorough and includes detailed questions about the household composition and a full examination of the home, which must meet state licensing standards. OCFS has initiated a comprehensive review of the entire case, including the Administration for Children's Services' oversight of the contracted foster care provider."