FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Borough Park Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Coercing Nude Photos from Alleged Teenage Shoplifters at CVS Pharmacies
Defendant Promised not to Report them to Police in Exchange for Photos
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 30-year-old Brooklyn man was sentenced to four years in prison following his guilty plea to using a child in a sexual performance and forcible touching. The defendant, who worked as a security guard, coerced three teenage girls and another person into taking nude photos with his cell phone to avoid being arrested for allegedly shoplifting at two CVS pharmacy stores.
District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant abused his authority as a security guard to intimidate, terrorize, and violate the young victims physically and emotionally. With today’s sentence, he has been held accountable for his abhorrent and predatory behavior.”
The District Attorney identified the defendant as Jose Ramos, 30, of Borough Park, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today to four years in prison by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Evelyn LaPorte. The defendant pleaded guilty to use of a child in a sexual performance and forcible touching in April 2018.
The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on November 23, 2016, at approximately 7 p.m., the defendant detained two 16-year-old girls who were allegedly shoplifting at a CVS pharmacy located at 6817 Bay Parkway in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, where he worked as a security guard. He told them he wouldn’t call the police if they agreed to take nude photos of themselves with his cell phone, and they complied. After examining the images, the defendant made the victims sign a non-disclosure agreement stating they would not report him to the police. He then allowed them to leave.
On February 5, 2017, at approximately 4 p.m., the defendant coerced a 15-year-old girl at the same CVS pharmacy after detaining her for allegedly shoplifting. In that incident, the defendant led the victim to the bathroom, took photos of her and groped her. The defendant made the victim to sign a non-disclosure agreement stating she would not report him to police. He then let her leave the store.
According to the investigation, while working at another CVS pharmacy on March 15, 2017, at approximately 7 p.m. at 411 Ditmas Avenue in Kensington, Brooklyn, the defendant detained a 28-year-old woman. As with the prior victims, the defendant told the victim he would not call the police if she let him take nude photos. The defendant took the victim to the bathroom, instructed her to remove her pants, took photos and groped her.
The defendant allowed the victim to leave the store after she signed a non-disclosure agreement not to call the police. The 28-year-old victim reported the defendant to the police and he was arrested on April 24, 2017. The additional victims were identified during the ensuing investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Lauren Silver, of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Miss Gregory, Bureau Chief.
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