NYPD arrests 17 in prostitution bust in East New York

An NYPD undercover operation bust involving an illegal prostitution ring in East New York resulted in the arrest of over 17 individuals, including a convicted child sexual predator, the New York Post reports.

Walter Barnes, 53, who was criminally convicted of raping two minors in 2002, was among the 17 individuals arrested, according to state records. Barnes was also criminally convicted in 2014 for impersonating a police officer in order to rape an 18-year-old girl.

The criminal bust was the result of NYPD cracking down on the illegal open-air sex trade, which has brought an increase in violent crime to the city, as well as concerns about alleged sex trafficking.

NYPD is arresting pimps and "johns" participating in the illicit sex trade, while prostitutes, who have been described as "very young," are being connected to advocacy groups as an alternative to being arrested, the outlet reports.
 

"The NYPD is in partnership to provide outreach, offer services, [and] showcase a realistic pathway out of this situation," a source told The Post. "These commercially sexually exploited individuals must know of our care and work in this regard — to help them — and that the NYPD has deeply heard the community complaints and concerns regarding this issue."

Taina Bien-Aimé, executive director at Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, praised the NYPD bust saying, "This is what we're calling for if New York wants to prevent and end sex trafficking and the exploitation of prostitution."

"They really need to go after the pillars of that abuse and that is sex buyers," she added.

The prostitutes are said to be wandering the streets of East New York nearly naked while looking for buyers.

According to authorities, the individuals arrested in the bust include Chernor Barrie, 31, of Brooklyn, Welno Pierre, 36, of Queens, Akino Pierre, 27, of Brooklyn, Ashton George, 30, of Brooklyn, Horace Smith, 59, of Manhattan, Craig Scriven, 20, of Brooklyn, Job A. Gustama, 37, of Brooklyn, Patrick Eustache, 59, of Brooklyn, Dashaun N. Copeland, 30, of Allentown, PA, Don King, 43, of Brooklyn, Danyale Covington, 34, of Brooklyn, Patrick Raphael, 41, of Brooklyn, Alijon Safarov, 22, of Brooklyn, Andrew Walcott, 56, of Brooklyn, Razzak-Mohammed Hossain, 35, of Brooklyn, and Fazle-Tarek Elahi, 28, of Brooklyn.

EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this story stated that one of those arrested, Chernor Barrie, is a professor at CUNY. A CUNY spokesperson has since clarified. Though they initially told the New York Post that Barrie is on faculty, the spokesperson stated that "We incorrectly identified the man arrested as an employee and he was not."