Father of NY scholar accused of getting into dorm, preying on daughter’s buddies

BRONXVILLE, N.Y. — the daddy of an old Sarah Lawrence College student allegedly extorted and abused a few pupils through the university that is prestigious forced one or more student into prostitution within the last ten years, federal prosecutors said Tuesday, Feb. 11.

Lawrence Ray “exploited and abused young gents and ladies emotionally, actually and sexually for his or her own profit, ” ultimately extorting about $1 million from five victims, stated Geoffrey Berman, the U.S. Lawyer when it comes to Southern District of the latest York.

Ray, 60, had been charged within an indictment with extortion, intercourse trafficking, forced labor trafficking, cash laundering, and much more.

Prosecutors stated the investigation ended up being prompted by an April 2019 mag article, a reference that is apparent a write-up en en titled “The Stolen Kids of Sarah Lawrence, ” published on ny magazine’s The Cut. The personal liberal arts college has about 1,700 students and it is situated in Yonkers, ny.

Ray allegedly ensnared a lot of their victims as they had been teens, Berman said, and their so-called initial victims were their daughter’s college roommates.

He moved into on-campus housing together with his child and her roommates during their sophomore year in belated 2010 and began “therapy” sessions with a few roommates in which he introduced himself as being a dad figure who could re re solve their mental issues, the indictment claimed.

In summer time 2011, many of the roommates lived with Ray at their Manhattan apartment, where he worked to achieve their trust and alienate them from their moms and dads, the indictment stated.

Berman stated Ray allegedly utilized “physical, emotional, and intimate punishment” to produce his victims confess to wrongdoing that is invented.

Then allegedly compelled them in order to make significant re payments to him and directed them to have cash for him by draining their parents’ savings, starting lines of credit, soliciting efforts from acquaintances, offering property ownership, and doing forced work as well as prostitution, Berman stated.

“Over nearly 10 years, Ray coerced and extorted almost $1 million in re re payments from five various victims, ” Berman stated.

In one single instance that is particular he presumably utilized fear, physical violence, and coercion to make one target to take part in commercial intercourse functions to settle debts she didn’t really owe, Berman stated. That target allegedly ended up being forced to are a prostitute for over four years, and Ray presumably accumulated a lot more than $500,000 from her, Berman stated.

Berman stated Ray allegedly “sexually groomed” that target beginning when she had been an university student, gathering intimately explicit pictures along with other private information he then utilized to coerce her into doing commercial sex functions.

He additionally utilized physical physical violence. In one single example, he tied the girl to a seat, put a case over her mind, and nearly suffocated trans cam her, prosecutors stated.

In 2013, Ray forced a number of the victims to complete handbook labor at a household member’s house in Pinehurst, new york, to settle these fictional debts, the indictment stated.

Whenever Ray ended up being arrested Tuesday early morning in Piscataway, nj-new jersey, one of his true daughter’s roommates and another feminine target were within the residence, Berman stated.

Ray had a short court look Tuesday afternoon in Manhattan. Their arraignment had been planned for Wednesday afternoon. CNN reached off to Ray’s defender that is public remark.

Sarah Lawrence university spokeswoman Patricia Pasquale confirmed that Ray had been the moms and dad of a student that is former.

“The fees included in the indictment are severe, wide-ranging, troubling, and upsetting. As constantly, the well-being and safety of y our pupils and alumni is really a priority for the university, ” Pasquale stated. “In April 2019, ny Magazine published a selection of accusations relating to this previous parent. The University undertook an inside investigation in connection with certain tasks alleged in the content to own happened on our campus last year; the research failed to substantiate those particular claims. During those times”

The indictment didn’t information which, if any, of this alleged activity that is criminal on campus.

Pasquale said the school wasn’t contacted because of the Southern District of the latest York but would cooperate into the research.