Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. announced today the sentencing of Lamont Brunson for running an underage prostitution and sex trafficking operation via the website Backpage.com
Brunson, 33, admitted in his guilty plea that he ran a trafficking operation that included coercing his 17-year-old victim into prostitution for four years. He advertised her prostitution services through Backpage.com and branded his victim’s body with a tattoo of his street name, “L$,” to demonstrate his ownership, the DA’s office alleges.
Brunson even went as far as requiring the victim to sign a fake contract that stated she would stay with him “until death do us part.”
To further intimidate his victim, Branson required the young woman to turn over all profits made through prostitution and set a quota she was forced to meet each night. If the 17-year-old failed to meet that quota or violated one of Brunson’s rules, she was beaten.
Brunson will serve three to nine years in prison and will be required to register as a sex offender.
