Sex trafficking on Long Island: Man charged with bringing women for prostitution to Huntington Station hotel

Suffolk police arrested a Bronx man for his alleged role in an international human trafficking ring that brought women to a Huntington Station hotel for sex work.

Erick Acevedo, 36, was charged with promoting prostitution for bringing female sex workers to the Rodeway Inn on West Jericho Turnpike and collecting money from them, Suffolk police said in a news release.

While surveilling the hotel between March and September of 2022, Suffolk police “noticed women that they believed might be victims of human trafficking,” the release said. The trafficking ring behind this alleged activity, which brought victims into Suffolk County over the past three years, has ties to Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Florida, New York and potentially other states, police said.

With assistance from the FBI and other law enforcement agencies, Suffolk police arrested Acevedo on Cedar Avenue in the Bronx around 10:35 a.m. Wednesday and charged him with third-degree promoting prostitution and fifth-degree conspiracy, the release said. Acevedo was issued a desk appearance ticket and was scheduled for arraignment at First District Court in Central Islip at a future date. He could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Managers of the Rodeway Inn did not return a phone message seeking comment Wednesday.

Suffolk Human Trafficking Unit detectives ask anyone who either may have been a victim of this human trafficking ring or have knowledge of this matter to call them 631-854-7512 or Crime Stoppers at 800-220-8477.

Long Island’s hotels and motels are serving as hubs for sex traffickers and their clients, Newsday has reported. The Newsday investigation uncovered nearly 60 hotels or motels across the Island where paid sexual encounters occurred in recent years.