Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and New York State Senator Cordell Cleare called on the New York State Legislature to stand with survivors by eliminating the five-year criminal statute of limitations for sex trafficking and extending the window for survivors to file lawsuits.
“Curtis Hamlet heinously exploited girls and young women in furtherance of his sex trafficking scheme. My thoughts are with these young survivors as they continue to heal,” said District Attorney Bragg. “I thank the dedicated prosecutors and investigators of my Office’s Human Trafficking Unit and our law enforcement partners in New York and Miami, for putting an end to this horrific multi-city operation and fighting for accountability.”
“The alleged actions in this case are horrific and illustrate a deliberate attempt to prey on a young woman who was already vulnerable to exploitation,” said District Attorney Bragg. “Our youth who are at risk of trafficking deserve support and care, and we will continue to vigorously investigate and disrupt these types of abhorrent trafficking schemes. I encourage anyone who has experienced, or is aware of this type of criminal activity, to call our help line at 212.335.3400 – our experienced and trauma-informed prosecutors and investigators are here to help.”
“This indictment alleges a highly coordinated operation, with three men conspiring to target a vulnerable woman with nowhere to stay and using brutal force to force her to perform sexual acts,” said District Attorney Bragg. “While midtown transit hubs are all too often the recruitment sites for such operations, this Greyhound employee had unique access, as we allege, to target vulnerable women.”
“Arthur Dawson ranks among the most violent traffickers this Office has ever prosecuted,” said D.A. Bragg. “Along with Daniel Washington, Dawson operated a horrific enterprise recruiting girls and young women to work in prostitution for their personal gain. They used violence and threats to keep these women under their control, even forbidding one from seeing her infant son if she did not earn enough money. I am in awe of the strength of these young survivors to take the stand and testify to these deeply traumatic events, and sincerely thank them for their bravery.”
