NEW YORK - Prosecutors unsealed an indictment on Friday against a Bronx man charged with sex trafficking children and promoting prostitution, among other offenses.
New York state Attorney General Letitia James said Paul Alexander, 57, of the Bronx, a registered sex offender, faces up to 50 years in prison if convicted of the top charges in the 17-count indictment.
James accused Alexander, listed as the CEO of a private jet charter company, of sexually abusing young girls and arranging for other men to have access to them for sex.
According to authorities, an investigation began after female minors reported Alexander to the NYPD, alleging that he sexually abused them and other underage girls and promoted them for prostitution to other men.
An undercover police officer then met with Alexander, who charged him a total of $300 for sex with a 12-year-old victim and a 14-year-old victim and encouraged the undercover officer to use alcohol and marijuana to make the victims more cooperative.
"The sexual exploitation of children is disgraceful, sickening, and blatantly illegal," said Attorney General James. "Adults have the responsibility to protect children, yet Alexander’s alleged actions exposed minors to untold pain and suffering. My office will continue to use every tool in our arsenal to root out sex traffickers and child abusers, and bring justice to their victims. I thank the NYPD for their partnership in this work."
"Today’s charges further affirm the NYPD’s unwavering commitment to combating sex trafficking and protecting the survivors of this heinous crime," said NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea. "I commend our NYPD investigators and the New York state attorney general for their sustained work in this important case."
The investigation also revealed that, between 2018 and 2020, Alexander would lure female teenage victims (between the ages of 12 and 16) to his apartment in the Bronx with marijuana and food, and then would attempt to perform sexual acts with them, expose himself to them and show the victims nude photographs.
Alexander, 57, was arrested in December and remains in custody. A message seeking comment was left with his attorney.
With the Associated Press.