New York- A Long Island woman who bragged of running the best brothels in the city will be hit with a charge of statutory rape tomorrow for allegedly employing underage girls.
The count is in a new indictment against Julie Moya, 47, of Freeport, that also charges her with promoting prostitution and money laundering. Investigators said at least one girl was 15 when she started working as a hooker.
The girl, now 17, is cooperating with investigators, who believe other minors also worked for Moya but haven’t found them yet.
Assistant Manhattan District Attorney Matthew Bassiur told the courts last week that Moya was “well aware” that some of her girls were underage and told one teen to use a fake ID and do “whatever the johns want.”
Moya has defended her business as “the friendliest, nicest, best that there is in New York City” and denied using minors. “There were never any underage girls. Never, never, ever. I ask them for IDs and try to make sure they’re of age,” she told the Daily News.
Moya has been in jail for almost two weeks, unable to make $500,000 bail set after she turned herself in.
Cops arrested 25 people when they busted the sex ring Jan. 27. They raided Moya’s home and her West Side headquarters, where she has operated an escort service, Julie’s of New York City, for 10 years.
Cops said the ring charged $200 to $400 an hour and generated $3 million a year.