NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – A man known as “Paradise,” was charged for operating a sex-trafficking ring on Pennsylvania Avenue in Brooklyn known as the "Penn Track, prosecutors announced on Tuesday.
Douglas Welch, 40, who goes by the alias "Paradise," is facing charges that include sex trafficking by force, sex trafficking conspiracy, interstate prostitution, and promotion of prostitution.
Welch was arrested on Tuesday and is accused of forcing victims into prostitution, primarily in the "Penn Track" area of Brooklyn's Pennsylvania Avenue.
Pennsylvania Avenue is a major north–south street that generally runs from the Jackie Robinson Parkway in Broadway Junction to the Belt Parkway in Starrett City.
"As alleged, Welch has trafficked multiple women for his own financial benefit while boasting about the cruel and brutal violence he has inflicted on the vulnerable victims... Today’s indictment will hold the defendant accountable in a federal courtroom for his exploitative crimes,” United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Breon Peace, said.
The "Penn Track" area has a reputation as an open-air market where Welch and others allegedly forced trafficking victims into prostitution, compelling them to earn money by engaging in commercial sex acts with customers in cars or nearby hotels, prosecutors explained.
Welch allegedly recruited women to work for him along the Penn Track and used threats and violence to force them into commercial sex with customers and take their earnings, according to court documents.
He allegedly threatened his victims with physical violence, including instances where he claimed to have assaulted or knocked unconscious those who showed disrespect to him or other traffickers.
If convicted, Welch could face a minimum prison sentence of 15 years and the possibility of life imprisonment.
Victims of trafficking, regardless of their immigration status, can contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.