In Brooklyn, New York, a man known as "Paradise" has found himself in hot water for allegedly running an audacious open-air sex trade along a section of Pennsylvania Avenue, referred to as the "Penn Track."
Federal prosecutors have slapped Douglas Welch, aged 40, with a series of charges in a federal court indictment. These include sex trafficking by force, sex trafficking conspiracy, interstate prostitution, and promotion of prostitution. Welch entered a plea of not guilty during his recent court appearance.
U.S. Attorney Breon Peace expressed, "As alleged, Welch has trafficked multiple women for his own financial benefit while boasting about the cruel and brutal violence he has inflicted on the vulnerable victims. Today’s indictment will hold the defendant accountable in a federal courtroom for his exploitative crimes."
Allegedly, Welch recruited women to work on the Penn Track and frequently used threats of physical violence to maintain control. He reportedly told one victim, "If you mess with the pimping, I'm gonna crack your head," and threatened to "slap the [expletive]" out of another victim for disobedience.
In chilling accounts, he even boasted about using violence to subdue trafficking victims who showed disrespect, mentioning incidents where he knocked out teeth or body-slammed individuals.
Court documents revealed several calls where the defendant allegedly discussed using violence. In one call from August 31, 2021, he spoke about having to pay for a woman's dental work after an incident, saying, "I ended up punching ... three of her teeth out ... I had to pay to get her teeth fixed, and all that stuff. That cost me because I lost $30,000, and I spent money fixing her mouth."
In another call, he discussed punching a woman and using a bat to instill "respect" in her. He even talked about leaving "a stain on her brain" to make her show him respect.
Currently in custody and working to secure legal representation, Welch faces a potential penalty of 15 years to life in prison for these charges.
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