What to know
- The man was identified as José Espinoza, 62 years old. According to the indictment, the victim of the crimes was identified as an undocumented immigrant from Paraguay, who cleaned apartments in a building in the Flatiron section of Manhattan.
- Court documents and recorded depositions revealed that Espinoza offered the survivor money in exchange for sex if she agreed to clean apartments in his building in August 2017.
- Once it was safe to do so, the victim contacted the NYPD and Espinoza was arrested in December 2023.
NEW YORK — On Tuesday, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. announced the indictment of a Hispanic man on multiple charges including rape, sexual abuse, assault and labor trafficking.
The man was identified as José Espinoza, 62 years old. According to the indictment, the victim of the crimes was identified as an undocumented immigrant from Paraguay, who cleaned apartments in a building in the Flatiron section of Manhattan.
According to prosecutors, Espinoza used threats and coercion to prevent the survivor from leaving for more than six years.
“These alleged acts are absolutely horrendous and I cannot imagine the physical, emotional and mental trauma this survivor continues to experience. It took extraordinary strength and courage for her to come forward and our team of specially trained prosecutors, investigators and social workers will support her with every resource we have available,” said District Attorney Bragg. “My office is here to fully assist anyone who has been a survivor of sexual abuse and trafficking, and I urge anyone who has experienced this type of violence and abuse to call us at 212-335-3400.”
The 62-year-old man was charged in New York State Supreme Court with the following charges:
- First degree rape
- Two counts of criminal sexual acts in the first degree
- One count of Aggravated Sexual Abuse in the Second Degree
- Three counts of labor trafficking
- Two counts of third degree assault
Court documents and recorded depositions revealed that Espinoza offered the survivor money in exchange for sex if she agreed to clean apartments in his building in August 2017. In 2018, Espinoza began assaulting and beating the survivor, while demanding photographs of her. text message to track his whereabouts.
The 62-year-old man intensified his control over the survivor through coercion, including tearing up and taking her passports. Espinoza demanded a naked photograph of her daughter and threatened to share it if the survivor ever defied her orders.
In one case, he forced the survivor to have sex with him in front of her daughter, according to Bragg’s office.
In the spring of 2022, the survivor was diagnosed with breast cancer and disclosed her abuse to a social worker at Bellevue Hospital after several months of treatment. The victim began bringing clothes and personal items to the hospital every time she had an appointment.
Once it was safe to do so, the victim contacted the NYPD and Espinoza was arrested in December 2023.
2024-01-24 04:22:27
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