Waitresses say they were sexually abused

Testifying to a stunned courtroom, two women Thursday described in graphic detail how they were sexually abused -- one as an underage teenager -- while working as waitresses in a Suffolk cantina that served as the headquarters to an alleged sexual-slavery ring.

One of the victims said she had been hired to serve alcohol in the cantina, even though she was 15 years old at that time, and had been overpowered and raped by the alleged leader of the ring, Antonio Rivera, 35, of Patchogue.

The second waitress said that when she declined to have sex with a patron of the cantina, Rivera, and one of his two co-defendants, Jason Villaman, 32, of Brentwood, restrained her while the patron sexually abused her.

Rivera, Villaman, and John Whaley, 31, of Bellport, are accused of running the ring out of two cantinas in Suffolk, Sonidos de las Frontera in Lake Ronkonkoma, and La Hija del Mariachi in Farmingville.

The three are charged with sex trafficking, forced labor and immigration violations for allegedly hiring undocumented women from Central America ostensibly as waitresses, but then compelling them to engage in sex with patrons out of fear of being turned into the police or immigration agents.

One of the alleged victims, identified only as "Keilby" said under questioning by federal prosecutor Demetri Jones that one night one of her regular customers at Sonidos had bought a bottle of alcohol for $240 and "he told me he wanted to have [sex] with me."

"I became angry and I went to tell [Rivera]" and he "said calm down . . . told me to sit down" at the customer's table, she said. Then Rivera and Villaman held her so she could not move, and the customer violated her, "Keilby" said.

Later, she said, Rivera apologized and said such incidents would not happen again. But, she testified, at another point he hit her in the face with his fist for refusing to sit with several patrons.

Under cross-examination by defense attorneys "Keilby" acknowledged that law enforcement officials had helped her get working papers to stay in the country as a victim of sexual abuse who was cooperating with officials.

The second alleged victim who testified was identified only as "Sandra." She testified that she was 15 years old when Rivera hired her, and he knew she was underage because he had taken her to classes at her middle school.

Under questioning by federal prosecutor Licha Nyiendo, she testified that one night after work, Rivera drove her to his house and raped her, saying she tried to resist but "he's stronger than I am."

Afterward, she said, she continued to have relations with Rivera because he "would court me" and said "he loved me."

Defense attorneys are expected to cross-examine "Sandra" when the trial resumes Monday.