Prostitutes Farmingville
Several significant cases involving sex trafficking and prostitution rings have emerged from Farmingville, New York, over the years. Law enforcement investigations revealed organized operations exploiting vulnerable individuals.
Key incidents include:
- Kristie Mace (2025): A 28-year-old Medford woman was arrested in Farmingville for promoting prostitution. Police allege she used social media to recruit women from outside the U.S., bringing them to Suffolk County on tourist visas for commercial sex work.
- Antonio Rivera (2013): The former owner of bars in Lake Ronkonkoma and Farmingville received a 60-year federal prison sentence. He was convicted for leading a sex trafficking and forced labor ring that exploited victims, including minors as young as 17. Two other bar owners/operators were also arrested in this 2009 case.
- Mitchell K. Johnson (Date Unspecified): A 38-year-old Farmingville man was indicted for sex trafficking by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office.
- Broader Pattern: Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison and the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force have identified more than 200 known sex trafficking victims in the area. Officials warn of a growing problem with human sex trafficking in Suffolk County.
Police Misconduct Connection
These cases often involved recruiting women, sometimes from overseas (like Europe or Central America), under false pretenses before forcing them into prostitution. Victims endured deplorable conditions in some instances.
The area’s history with sex crime investigations was further complicated by the actions of former Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke:
- Burke, who previously led the Gilgo Beach serial killings probe, served federal prison time for an unrelated corruption scandal (beating a suspect).
- In August 2023, Burke was arrested again. Park rangers took him into custody at Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park in Farmingville. He faced charges including offering a sex act, public lewdness, indecent exposure, and criminal solicitation. The park is known locally as an area for illicit activity (
pickle park
). - His arrest and prior misconduct cast a shadow over past investigations, including the handling of the Gilgo Beach case.
Resources and Context
- Support services exist, including therapists in Farmingville specializing in sex therapy, anger management, domestic violence, and addiction recovery.
- The Suffolk County Police Department operates precincts throughout the area, including the 6th Precinct in Coram near Farmingville.
*TAGS* – Suffolk County trafficking victims, forced labor ring, police corruption scandal
