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| © Handout Paul Alexander |
57-year-old Paul Alexander, the CEO of a private jet company, was arrested last week while attempting to sell two underage girls to an undercover law enforcement agent, according to the New York Attorney General, who announced the arrest on Saturday.
Police had been watching Alexander for several months as part of an operation known within the NYPD as “Operation Mile High.”
The investigation was conducted by the state prosecutor’s office and the NYPD Vice Squad.
After our investigation with @NYPDnews, we arrested and charged Paul Alexander with multiple counts of sex trafficking minors.
— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) December 5, 2020
There is nothing more reprehensible than sexually exploiting a child and I will use every tool at my disposal to hold this individual accountable.
The investigation began back in March after an underage victim of Alexander reported his criminal activity to the police.
The victim told the NYPD that he abused her and other girls and sold them for sex.
Alexander was listed as the C.E.O. of Central Jet Charter, a private aircraft charter company.
Through their investigation, law enforcement officials found significant evidence that he was trafficking children across state lines and using his business as a cover.
Last week, an undercover agent posing as a pedophile who wanted to buy time with young girls, gave Alexander $300 to have sex with two young girls. The girls were 12 and 14-year-old.
Alexander also encouraged the undercover agent to get the young girls intoxicated.
Alexander is now classified as a Level 3 registered sex offender and is facing multiple counts of child trafficking, child abuse, and other related charges.
He is the first to be charged with the newly enacted crime of child trafficking in New York state, which carries a steeper penalty than the trafficking of adults.
“There is nothing more reprehensible than sexually exploiting a child,” New York Attorney General James said in a statement announcing the arrest.
Private Jet Charter CEO Paul Alexander charged with child sex trafficking. Wonder who his clients were and whether they’ll also be charged. https://t.co/2ilQnywXtj
— shannon is home for the holidays 🎄❄️ (@sunny_in_MN) December 5, 2020
“This individual’s alleged actions jeopardized the health and safety of our children and highlighted the critical need for these new protections that strengthen our ability to hold perpetrators accountable for these gross violations of the law. I thank the NYPD for their partnership in this investigation, and I will continue to use all the tools at my office’s disposal to hold accountable those who seek to abuse our children,” James said.
NYPD Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said in a statement:
“The NYPD and our law enforcement partners share a commitment to protect the survivors of child trafficking, and we will continue to fight on behalf of our society’s most vulnerable individuals.
I thank and commend the NYPD detectives involved in this investigation and the New York State Office of the Attorney General for their efforts to ensure child predators are taken off our streets. The NYPD will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to eradicate the trafficking of children in our city and work to bring justice to victims of these heinous crimes.”