DALLAS — A Dallas man accused of forcing two teens into prostitution in New York, beating them, and then tattooing his nickname on their faces, has been indicted on sex trafficking charges, authorities said.
Donald Roberson, 29, faces numerous counts, including sex trafficking of a child, sex trafficking, multiple promotion of prostitution counts, criminal possession of a weapon, criminal sexual act, sexual abuse and sexual misconduct, according to a release from the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office.
Roberson is accused of driving two female victims, a 17-year-old and 18-year-old, from Dallas to New York in August, prosecutors said. When they arrived in New York, they went to a hotel, where Roberson rented a room and began forcing the victims into prostitution, according to the release.
Prosecutors said Roberson met the victims through Instagram.
After several days in New York, Roberson allegedly took the victims to a tattoo parlor and had his nickname, "Blue Cheese," tattooed on their faces, according to the release.
Later that same day, Roberson and the 17-year-old got into an argument, and Roberson punched her in the face, pulled her hair and kicked her in the face "causing her to suffer a seizure," the release said.
He then allegedly stabbed her "about the side of her body" with scissors, according to the release.
When the other victim went to the hospital to be treated for an infection, Roberson allegedly found her afterward and choked and punched her "until she was crying and unable to breathe," the release said.
The next day, the 17-year-old was able to lock herself in his vehicle outside of the hotel they were staying. But Roberson broke the car window, leaving the teen with cuts, and then he "took a torch lighter to her leg and burned her," the release said.
The teen was able to text someone back home in Texas and give them the name and address of the hotel. Brooklyn police officers responded and found the victim in the parking lot, and then arrested Roberson, prosecutors said.
"The brutality these victims endured is appalling, and we will work diligently to ensure that he is held accountable for the inhumanity he inflicted," Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in the release.
