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Michael Howell, age 64, of Brooklyn, was indicted on sex trafficking and related charges in Suffolk County Court on Thursday, Feb. 29.
Prosecutors allege that between September 2022 and February 2024, Howell forced the Suffolk County woman to engage in sexual acts with others for money.
He rented hotel rooms and posted ads of the victim on websites typically used to advertise sex work, investigators said.
In order to get the woman to comply, Howell allegedly gave her crack cocaine and heroin, and then told her she owed him money for the drugs and hotel expenses. He took any money she received from the sex acts, prosecutors said.
When the woman refused to comply, Howell resorted to threats and physical violence, including slamming her head into a wall, according to investigators.
“It is deplorable and illegal to subject anyone to physical assaults and threats in order to compel them to engage in sexual acts with others for profit,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney.
“We are committed to ensuring that those who sexually exploit vulnerable individuals for a profit are held accountable for their actions.”
In court Thursday, Howell was arraigned on the following charges:
- Four counts of sex trafficking (felonies)
- Two counts of promoting prostitution (felonies)
- Three counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance (felonies and misdemeanor)
He was held at the Suffolk County jail on $3 million bond.
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