FBI says accused sex trafficker Ysenni Gomez may have hundreds of victims
NEW YORK -- The FBI has put out a warning about a fake job ad that lured a woman into sex trafficking.
The agency now believes there could be hundreds of other victims and revealed three websites -- Facebook, Bedpage.com, and Megapersonals.com -- that featured ads associated with the suspect.
CBS2's Tony Aiello has more on the case that spans from Manhattan to Westchester County.
The FBI showed the online sex ad undercover investigators replied to on Aug. 11 to set up an illicit encounter at a Westchester hotel that ended with the arrest of an accused human trafficker named Ysenni Gomez.
"She has been posting prostitution ads for approximately 10 years, so we believe over the course of those years there could be many more victims," FBI Supervisory Senior Resident Agent Brendan Kenney said.
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Kenney said the case started with a woman from Venezuela who applied for a waitress job in Manhattan. Gomez allegedly told the woman the actual job was prostitution and threatened to turn her over to immigration if she refused.
The FBI said the alleged victim held her ground for weeks, refusing to work as a prostitute. The criminal complaint says the suspect and an accomplice essentially bullied the woman, contacting her repeatedly and threatening to have her deported.
The FBI said says the Venezuelan woman finally gave in, agreeing to see up to three clients a night. That is, until the undercover sting at the Westchester hotel led investigators to Gomez.
Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah is not involved in the federal prosecution, but has worked on numerous human trafficking cases.
"The sex traffickers who are trying to get them to do what they want are using manipulation, and they are preying on the vulnerabilities and often the desperation, frankly, of the victims," Rocah said.
The FBI released a mugshot and "What's App" avatar used by Gomez and is urging any additional victims to come forward.
"It's horrific conduct. I mean, it's why the FBI places such a large focus on human trafficking investigations, and the identification and recovery of the victims," Kenney said.
It's part of an ongoing effort to target those who allegedly prey on vulnerable people.
The FBI says its Victims Services Team is assisting the Venezuelan woman who was coerced into sex work. Authorities say legal status will not be used against anyone who reports being a victim of human trafficking.
