A 45-year-old Florida man will spend the rest of his life in prison after a years-long investigation revealed he trafficked a 16-year-old girl and orchestrated a commercial sex operation out of his home.
Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the sentencing of Raul Brown on Friday, marking the end of a case that began in the summer of 2021.
The investigation kicked off nearly five years ago when the Florida Department of Children and Families flagged the situation to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. Detectives discovered that the victim had recently arrived in the United States from abroad when she encountered Brown.
Shortly after they met, Brown convinced the teenager to move into his residence. Once there, he forced her to work as a stripper and engage in commercial sex acts, keeping 50 percent of her earnings for himself.
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Evidence presented during the trial showed that the minor was not the only person Brown was exploiting. Another woman lived in the home and was also being coached into sex work. Brown reportedly managed her appointments and pocketed half of her profits to fund his personal lifestyle.
“This predator knowingly took advantage of a child who was in a vulnerable position,” Uthmeier said in a statement. He credited the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and Assistant Statewide Prosecutors Joshua Dockus and Fatima Bachemin for “getting this monster off the streets.”
A jury convicted Brown on five separate counts. His most severe penalty, a life sentence, stems from the charge of human trafficking of a child. He also received 15 years for promoting the sexual performance of a child, a combined 20 years for two counts of deriving support from the proceeds of prostitution, and five years for the unlawful use of a communications device.
The court ordered that all sentences be served concurrently. Brown has been transferred to the Florida Department of Corrections to begin serving his life term.
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