Queens man indicted in Brooklyn Supreme Court for sex trafficking

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez on Friday announced that a Long Island City man has been charged with sex trafficking, promoting prostitution, assault, and related offenses involving the alleged sex trafficking of a young woman in Brooklyn and elsewhere.

Gonzalez identified the defendant as Walter Pinckney, 25, of Long Island City. He was arraigned before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun on a nine-count indictment in which he is charged with sex trafficking, promoting prostitution, assault, criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation, and unlawful imprisonment.

The district attorney said that, according to the investigation, between May 11, 2021 and June 6, 2021, Pinckney allegedly forced a 24-year-old woman who he met through mutual friends to work as a prostitute after he took sexually suggestive photos of her and posted them in advertisements on megapersonals.com and skipthegames.com, offering sex in exchange for money.

When the victim said she did not want to work as a prostitute, the defendant allegedly hit her. He allegedly arranged numerous dates for her throughout New York City and specifically at the Imperial Hotel in East New York, giving her Adderall and Ecstasy to keep her awake and working — sometimes for up to three consecutive days.

The abuse allegedly escalated throughout the course of the time the woman was with the defendant, including an instance where he allegedly placed both of his hands around her neck and applied pressure, restricting her ability to breathe, because she did not want work as a prostitute.

On another occasion, it is alleged, she was tasered by an unidentified woman and beaten by Pinckney for leaving a date and heading to his residence on her own instead of waiting to be picked up. She was allegedly punched in the face, chest and abdomen by the defendant and suffered bruising and broken ribs.

Finally, the charges state, the woman was taken to a house in East Flatbush in early June, held there and not given adequate food or water. She was confined to a single room, and her wrists and ankles were bound with electrical cords. On June 6, 2021, she was able to loosen the cords, escape the residence, run down the street and call 911 from a local corner store.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This young woman allegedly suffered horrific abuse at the hands of this defendant. Thankfully, she was able to escape and get help. We must continue to do all we can to raise awareness of human trafficking and to prosecute those who engage in this appalling crime.”

Pinckney faces up to 25 years in prison on the top count and would be required to register as a sex offender if convicted. He was ordered held on bail of $500,000 bond or $100,000 cash and to return to court on Nov. 16, 2021.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Mary E. Monahan, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney David Weiss, deputy chief of the District Attorney’s Human Trafficking Unit; and under the overall supervision of Assistant District Attorney Miss Gregory, chief of the Special Victims Bureau.