BAY SHORE, N.Y. (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – A man and woman were indicted for the sex trafficking of two females and rape of a 13-year-old girl, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney announced on Friday.
Danny St. Louis, 43, was indicted on charges including rape, criminal sexual act, sex trafficking, attempted sex trafficking, use of a child in a sexual performance, strangulation, promoting prostitution, possessing a sexual performance by a child, unlawfully dealing with a child, endangering the welfare of a child, and criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Samantha Wimmer, 37, is facing charges including sex trafficking, attempted sex trafficking, promoting prostitution and prostitution.
According to an investigation, in early 2023, St. Louis allegedly met a 13-year-old child through a mutual acquaintance and provided her with cocaine. St. Louis allegedly began to communicate with the child regularly and then began to sexually abuse her. During that time, St. Louis allegedly introduced the child to crack cocaine, causing her to become addicted to the drug.
The abuse continued until Oct. 2023, after the victim had run away from a residential drug treatment facility and was found by police on Oct. 8, in a hotel room with St. Louis.
Wimmer was allegedly staying in a separate room in the same hotel.
From this incident, St. Louis was arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child and unlawful dealing with a child. He was released from jail without bail.
While that case was pending, law enforcement continued to investigate the full extent of the abuse that the 13-year-old victim had allegedly suffered.
Between March 2023 and March 2024, St. Louis allegedly advertised and sold women for sex several times to various buyers, using heroin and crack cocaine as a method of maintaining control over at least one of the victims, authorities said.
Wimmer allegedly assisted St. Louis in photographing and advertising the victim they controlled with drugs. Additionally, St. Louis allegedly took that victim's identification and phone to prevent her from leaving or refusing to engage in sex for his own profit.
On March 3, St. Louis allegedly arranged to have a 20-year-old woman meet him at the hotel room that he and Wimmer were staying in. St. Louis then allegedly provided that woman with crack cocaine, and then would not let the victim leave the hotel room for two days, prompting her family to file a missing person report with authorities.
At one point, St. Louis allegedly accused the victim of stealing crack cocaine from him and forced her to undress, shower, and then have sex with him as punishment.
Wimmer allegedly filmed that rape, and she and St. Louis discussed a plan to use the video as an advertisement to sell the victim to sex buyers, officials said.
On March 5, the victim had an opportunity to get away from St. Louis and Wimmer and fled the hotel to call her family.
The victim's family then notified the police, who went and recovered the victim.
St. Louis and Wimmer were both arrested on March 14, after Wimmer allegedly agreed to provide a buyer with sex and drugs in exchange for money.
St. Louis is due back in court on May 6. Wimmer is due back in court on May 9.
"Sex trafficking a human being is heinous and intolerable, and these are serious allegations that we look forward to proving in court," DA Tierney said. "I am committed to ensuring that our vulnerable populations are protected from predators who seek to violate and exploit women and children, by whatever lawful means available."
