Press Release

QUEENS MAN INDICTED ON SEX TRAFFICKING AND FIREARMS CHARGES

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Troy Siddons was arraigned on charges of sex trafficking of a child, rape and other crimes. Siddons was separately indicted for criminal weapon possession related to an incident in September.

District Attorney Katz said: “I have put significant resources into finding and helping those who are being forced into sex work.  Those who will prey upon the vulnerable should know that in Queens, we will not relent in this responsibility.”

Siddons, 38, of 127th Avenue in Jamaica, Queens, was arraigned Monday before Queens Supreme Court Justice Frances Wang on a 15-count indictment charging him with sex trafficking of a child, sex trafficking, compelling prostitution, promoting prostitution in the first and second degrees and rape in the second degree. The defendant was separately indicted on four counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, three counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree and two counts of criminal possession of a firearm. Justice Wang ordered the defendant to return to court February 7. If convicted, Siddons faces up to 40 years in prison.

According to the charges, the defendant met the 14-year-old victim at a party on or about January 16, 2022 and exchanged phone numbers with her. Siddons then met the victim at the Van Wyck Hotel and paid her cash in exchange for sexual intercourse. Siddons then met with the girl on another occasion at the Best Western Inn where he purchased the victim, took her and held her against her will. The defendant told the victim she owed him and his associate a debt of $300 and coerced her to engage in sex acts with paying customers to obtain the sum.

The charges further state that Siddons arranged customers and he and his associates collected cash from them for sex with the victim. Siddons refused to let the victim leave and refused provide medical care for the victim when she complained of tremendous pain as a result of the sexual encounters. The victim was rescued from a home in Brooklyn, where she was forced to reside with her traffickers.

Additionally, the firearms charges state that on September 27, 2022, police executed a search warrant on Siddons’ Queens residence.  Police observed Siddons and a co-defendant inside of the location.  Siddons jumped out a second-story window in an attempt to escape.  Two loaded and operable firearms, along with a bullet proof vest, were recovered from inside of the defendant’s bedroom of the residence.

The sex trafficking investigation was conducted by Detective Liam O’Hara of the New York City Police Department Human Trafficking Squad, under the supervision of Sergeant Robert Duplessis, Lieutenant Amy Capogna, Captain Thomas Milano and under the overall supervision of Chief Carlos Ortiz.  The firearms investigation was conducted by Sergeant Nicholas Bekas of the 105th Precinct under the supervision of Lieutenant Kevin Comiskey of the Intelligence Division.

Assistant District Attorneys Kiran Cheema of the District Attorney’s Human Trafficking Bureau, with the assistance of Assistant District Attorney Tara DiGregorio, is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Jessica Melton, Bureau Chief, Tara DiGregorio, Deputy Bureau Chief and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Gerard A. Brave.

**Criminal complaints and indictments are accusations. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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