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Franeisha Patterson, of Newburgh, and Cally Graham, of the Bronx, were each sentenced to a total of 18 years in state prison in connection with the December 12, 2017, forcible rape and sexual assault of a teenage girl in a Newburgh apartment, said the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
In January, Patterson and Graham were both convicted by a jury of rape and criminal sexual act. In addition, Patterson was convicted of one count of use of a child in a sexual performance, the DA's Office said.
Two other participants in the crime, Franiqua Patterson and Daniel Wapples, both pleaded guilty and were sentenced earlier for their part in the crime, the DA's Office said.
The rape victim was, at the time, a 15-year-old runaway who had been sex trafficked by Franiqua Patterson for more than a month before the rape occurred. On December 12, 2017, the victim went to Franeisha Patterson’s apartment in the City of Newburgh, where all four defendants were present, said the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
Franeisha Patterson ordered the victim to have sex with her boyfriend, Graham. And, Franiqua Patterson ordered the victim to have sex with her boyfriend, Wapples, said the DA's Office.
Both women repeatedly made those demands, despite the victim’s refusal to comply, said the DA's Office.
Wapples then forcibly raped the victim, while Graham forcibly orally sodomized her. Franiqua and Franeisha watched the crime from a nearby couch, while Franiqua recorded the crime on her cellphone, the DA's Office said.
The victim cried during the incident, and the four defendants repeatedly yelled at her, laughed at her, and cursed at her, said the DA"s Office.
District Attorney Hoovler thanked the City of Newburgh Police Department for their efforts in the investigation and prosecution of the case.
“Sex trafficking victims deserve our support in putting their lives back together and these lengthy prison sentences were warranted by the horrendous actions these defendants took against a vulnerable teenager,” said Hoovler, “Forcible rape and sexual assault are despicable crimes, under any circumstances but to participate in crimes like that, while they’re being committed against a trafficked teenager, and while they’re being recorded sinks to another level of depravity.”
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