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A married couple in New York City was arrested for allegedly pimping out young women under their care through the foster system as part of their five-year sex trafficking operation.
Sharice Mitchell, 51, and her husband, Kareem "Napoleon" Mitchell, 38, were indicted by the New York Supreme Court for sex trafficking and conspiracy in the fourth degree. The couple is accused of running a sex trafficking operation involving at least eight women beginning in 2018.
Two of the women had been placed in the wife’s care in her role as a certified New York State foster parent, prosecutors noted. The husband was already a registered sex offender and is facing additional charges of promoting prostitution in the third degree and aggravated harassment in the second degree.
"Sex traffickers target the most vulnerable New Yorkers, including – far too often – young New Yorkers in the child welfare system," Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement Wednesday. "As alleged, instead of providing a safe home, this husband and wife forced eight young women to engage in prostitution. We will continue to prioritize proactive investigations like these to dismantle sex trafficking operations and keep New Yorkers safe."
The sun sets on the midtown Manhattan skyline on Jan. 25, 2022. (Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)
Kareem Mitchell is a registered sex offender stemming from a 2008 federal conviction for transportation of a minor to engage in prostitution and other related charges. Court documents allege he ran a sex trafficking operation involving at least eight women between November 2018 and February 2022.
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He allegedly used Instagram and Facebook to recruit women to work for him, then subjected them to verbal and physical abuse to coerce them to engage in prostitution, including in cars and hotels in Midtown and elsewhere in Manhattan, as well as Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.
His wife allegedly lied on her application to become a foster parent, claiming she did not live with her husband – though he was registered to the same address. Two women placed in Sharice Mitchell’s care as young adults were also recruited into the couple’s alleged prostitution ring.
Alvin Bragg speaks during a get out the vote rally in Harlem on Nov. 1, 2021, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Young people can stay in foster care until age 21, and prosecutors allege Sharice preyed upon the vulnerable looking to the foster care system for housing to stay off New York City’s streets.
"Prostitution advertisements were posted less than one month after her placement with the defendant," Assistant District Attorney Lauren Breen noted in a Manhattan Criminal Court hearing Wednesday about one of the two women in foster care, according to New York Daily News.
Judge Felicia Mennin ordered Kareem Mitchell held without bail. He faces up to 100 years if convicted. Sharice Mitchell’s bail was set at $500,000 and she faces up to 75 years if found guilty.
Prosecutors said the District Attorney’s Office collected evidence through a nine-month investigation from communications, physical surveillance and records from Instagram, CashApp and Zelle.
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New York City's Administration for Children’s Services said it was cooperating with the investigation.
"We take the safety of the children and youth entrusted to our care in New York City’s foster care system extremely seriously," the agency said in a statement. "The vast majority of foster parents provide loving, safe environments. We do not tolerate anyone who exploits or puts children in danger."
