Posted on: August 01, 2019 02:00 PM

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Ridgewood resident sentenced up to 14 years in prison for sex trafficking teenage girl

Acting Queens District Attorney John M. Ryan announced today that a 34-year-old Ridgewood, Queens, man has been sentenced to up to 14 years in prison for sex trafficking and other charges for forcing a 13-year-old girl into having sex with strangers for money over the course of several weeks in late 2017. In addition to trafficking the 13-year-old girl, the defendant admitted to endangering the welfare of a 15-year-old runaway.

Acting District Attorney Ryan said, ?Sex trafficking is an incessant act of brutality and degradation that could scar its victims for life. I hope that these two victims will be able to overcome this ordeal and move forward in their lives. The defendant is now going to prison.?

The District Attorney?s Office identified the defendant as Eddy Florence, 34, of 70 Avenue in Ridgewood, Queens. The defendant pleaded guilty last month to sex trafficking and endangering the welfare of a child before Acting Queens Supreme Court Justice Peter Vallone Jr., who imposed today?s indeterminate term of 7 to 14 years in prison.

Acting District Attorney Ryan said that, the defendant admitted to placing prostitution advertisements on various escort service websites, including Backpage.com, for both teenage victims.

For several weeks, the defendant forced the 13- year-old victim to have sex with strangers for money and demanded that all the proceeds from the prostitution be given to him. On some occasions, when she did not make enough money, the defendant would yell violently and threaten the victim.

The defendant also pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a 15-year-old runaway girl. (From Queens DA's office)