New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the sentencing of Paul Alexander, 60, of The Bronx, a level 3 sex offender, for sex trafficking children in 2020 and committing rape in 2016 on April 18.

 

Officials said the prosecution was the result of a joint investigation between the Attorney General’s Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) and the NYPD’s Human Trafficking Squad which began in June 2020, and ended with Alexander’s arrest in December 2020. They said investigators found that Alexander had trafficked six children in New York City and solicited an undercover officer for sex with a 12-year-old victim and a 14-year-old victim.

 

“Paul Alexander’s sickening crimes caused the children he exploited to suffer untold trauma and pain,” said James. “While nothing can truly erase the damage he caused, our investigation put a stop to his abuse and today’s sentencing will ensure he faces justice. My office will continue to use every tool at our disposal to stop child sex trafficking and ensure justice for the victims of these crimes. I want to thank the NYPD for their partnership in this investigation.”

 

NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban also gave his reaction saying,“Our dedicated NYPD investigators and law enforcement partners at the Attorney General’s OCTF share an unwavering commitment to protecting survivors of child sex trafficking, one of the most heinous crimes in our society. We will continue to ensure that anyone who profits from the abuse and exploitation of vulnerable young people is swiftly brought to justice.”

 

Using covert recording devices, social media, and undercover operations, officials said the investigative team found that Alexander trafficked children for sex in Manhattan, Queens, and The Bronx. Prosecutors said that during a 2020 meeting between Alexander and an undercover police officer, Alexander charged the officer a total of $300 for sexual intercourse with a 12-year-old victim and a 14-year-old victim, supplied the officer with condoms, and encouraged him to use alcohol and marijuana to make the young victims more cooperative.

 

Prosecutors said that last month, Alexander pled guilty to one count of sex trafficking of a child (a class B violent felony) and one count of rape in the second degree (a class D violent felony). They said he was sentenced as a second felony offender to eight years in prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision.

 

James urges anyone who may be a victim of trafficking or who knows someone who may be a victim to call the NYPD’s Trafficking Hotline at 646-610-7272.

 

The attorney general thanked the NYPD’s Human Trafficking Squad for their partnership in the investigation, and the victims and their families for coming forward. She also thanked the Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark for her office’s assistance with the investigation and prosecution.

 

Officials said the NYPD investigation was directed by Detectives Antonio Pagan and Liam O’Hara, under the supervision of Lt. Amy Capogna, who oversees the NYPD’s Human Trafficking Squad. They said Captain Thomas Milano is the executive officer and Chief Carlos Ortiz is the commanding officer of the Special Victims Division.

 

Meanwhile, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) investigation was led by OCTF Investigator Ramon Almodovar and Supervising Investigator Paul Grzegorski. OCTF Investigators were led by Deputy Chief Investigator Andrew Boss and Assistant Chief Investigator Ismael Hernandez. OAG’s Investigations Bureau was led by Chief Investigator Oliver Pu-Folkes.

 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant Deputy Attorneys General Ann Lee and Joseph Barca, with the assistance of Legal Support Analyst Christine Cintron and former Legal Support Analyst Stephanie Tirado, under the supervision of Downstate OCTF Deputy Chief Lauren Abinanti. Nicole Keary was the deputy attorney general in charge of OCTF. Both the investigations division and OCTF are part of the Division for Criminal Justice. The Division for Criminal Justice is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General José Maldonado and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.