Two high-profile cases in New York City prove that sex trafficking of children and adults doesn’t happen in a vacuum. If you notice a pattern of men coming in and out of a residence or hotel room and spending 30 minutes or less, it’s a sign that something is not right. Especially if you notice an older male with a much younger female — and they don’t appear to be related. The bottom line is to become aware and involved in what goes on around you. Surprisingly, prostitution [and exploitation] happens right in front of us. We just need to open our eyes
Pimp who called himself “Black Hitler” takes stand
The outrageous case of Sherman Gamble, 56, a father of five, is making its way through a New York court. Gamble is charged with kidnapping, torturing and assaulting a young woman he pimped from his home. According to Gamble, he took a 24-year-old woman off the streets because he felt sorry for her condition. Soon, she was posting escort ads on adult websites like Backpage.com and hustling out of Gamble’s apartment. The woman claims that Gamble threatened to”skin her alive and rip her heart out “for lying and trying to escape.” During one beating he pulled her hair, choked her and shoved a newspaper down her throat yelling, “I am going to kill you. Don’t you know who I am? I am the Black Hitler. She was able to escape and contacted the police. Gamble denies these allegations and stated that he called himself “Black Hitler” as a joke and that the woman voluntarily pimped herself out. The money he received from her went toward household expenses. Gamble also is facing charges for pimping out five other women on Backpage.com
Fourteen-year-old force-fed Molly for gang rapes and prostitution
Maurice Hines, 38, has been accused of holding a 14-year-old girl against her will in a Bronx, New York, apartment. According to police and prosecutors, Hines repeatedly raped the teen and forced her to have sex with other men. Hines, along with Curintina Mulrain, 25, took pictures of the underage girl posing in lingerie and posted them to online sex sites advertising her as a prostitute. The teen told police Hines would rape her so she would “open up” and forced her to take a “Molly” before she was gang-raped by a group of men for money. The underage victim claimed she was held captive for a month in May and June of 2015 and also again in 2016 for three days. Hines is facing multiple charges, including kidnapping, rape, sex trafficking and prostitution to which he has pleaded not guilty.
According to Hines’ defense lawyer, Paul London, the underage girl was free to leave. “To my client’s knowledge, there was nothing holding her there,” London said.
Police also charged Mulrain with kidnapping, sex trafficking and promoting prostitution, she is being held on a $50,000 bail. Also being held is another resident at the apartment identified as Hine’s girlfriend, Shurine Byron. Residents have stated there was a constant stream of men leaving the apartment at various hours.
This is not Hines first run-in with the law. He was accused of being a drug dealer and received a $45,000 false arrest settlement from the city of New York from an incident that occurred in 2012. Hines is being held without bail
