A Manhattan building superintendent, Jose Espinoza, has been indicted in Manhattan Supreme Court on multiple charges, including rape, criminal sex act, sex abuse, and labor trafficking. The allegations, described by officials as “absolutely horrendous,” date back to the summer of 2017.
According to the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, Espinoza met the victim, an undocumented immigrant from Paraguay, that year and allegedly coerced her into engaging in sexual acts for money in exchange for cleaning apartments in the Flatiron building where he served as the superintendent.
The following year, prosecutors claim that Espinoza escalated his abusive behavior, physically assaulting the woman, tracking her phone, and destroying her passports. The allegations include a disturbing form of blackmail, where Espinoza reportedly demanded nude photographs of the victim’s special needs daughter, threatening to share them if the woman ever disobeyed his orders.
Manhattan Building Superintendent Indicted in Years-Long Campaign of Terror, Allegedly Raping Undocumented Cleaner and Demanding Nude Photos of Special Needs Child (Credits: New York Post)
Prosecutors allege that Espinoza forced the victim to engage in sexual acts with him in front of her daughter on at least one occasion. The abuse reportedly continued for several years, with the survivor enduring physical, emotional, and mental trauma.
The shocking ordeal came to light in the spring of 2022 when the survivor, undergoing treatment for breast cancer at a Manhattan hospital, confided in a social worker. The social worker promptly alerted authorities, leading to Espinoza’s arrest by the NYPD Human Trafficking Squad.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg expressed his condemnation of the alleged acts, stating, “These alleged acts are absolutely horrendous, and I cannot imagine the physical, emotional, and mental trauma this survivor continues to experience.
It took extraordinary strength and courage for her to come forward, and our team of specially trained prosecutors, investigators, and social workers will support her with every resource we have available.”
Espinoza, who pleaded not guilty during his Supreme Court arraignment, is being held on an $800,000 bond set by Judge Ann Sherzer. He is scheduled to appear in court again on February 13 and faces over ten years in prison if convicted.
