Trenton Teen Prostitutes Seven-year-old Stepsister

In what can only be deemed despicable, a 15-year-old Trenton girl took her seven-year-old stepsister to a party, where the younger girl was gang raped by seven men and boys while the sister watched and collected money from the rapists.

On Sunday, March 28, the teen and the seven-year old reportedly were outside in their neighborhood, when the teen met two young men who invited her to a party. The seven-year-old reportedly was worried about the teen's safety and insisted on "tagging along." The teen took the youngster to the party at the Rowan Towers apartments, a public housing high-rise, in the shadow of Trenton's Statehouse, deemed so dangerous that Trenton police are hired as security guards at night.

Reportedly, it began with the teen selling herself to the party guests. Upon arrival at the party, she went into the bedroom with several men, leaving the seven-year-old in the living room alone. Returning, she handed the younger girl cash, telling her the money was for her to allow the boys in the room to touch her. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Police Captain Joseph Juniak said, "It went from touching to straight-out assault and rape. They threatened to kill her if she screamed or told anyone." After the attack, the younger girl dressed and left the apartment alone, where two strangers found her crying and walked her home.

The girls' parents claim they had been searching for the two when they hadn't returned by 4:30 Sunday afternoon, reporting them to the police as runaways Sunday night. Police officers were present when the 7-year-old got home and told her mother what happened. The child was then taken to the hospital. When the 15-year-old was later located, she was taken in custody and charged with aggravated sexual assault, criminal restraint, terroristic threats, endangering the welfare of a child and promoting prostitution, and is presently being held at the Mercer County Youth Detention Center. The county prosecutor announced plans to try her as an adult.

Captain Juniak said that all those involved in the gang rape, as well as those who were in the room but did not harm the girl, would be charged. The people who had sex with the 15-year-old will also be charged for having sex with an underage girl, he said. Surveillance cameras from the lobby and elevators are being scrutinized in an attempt to identify the participants. It is believed that about a dozen teen boys and young men may have broken into the apartment, according to police, a common occurrence in the neighborhood.

On Thursday, April 1, police conducted a pre-dawn raid at the Towers, planned before the rape, and arrested 27 people on outstanding warrants, including 20-year-old Gregory Joseph Leary. Leary was charged with statutory rape and endangering the welfare of a child for having sex with the 15-year-old, and police are investigating as to whether he was present at the Sunday gang rape.

While many of those arrested on Thursday were women with warrants for minor infractions, Capt. Juniak said that the raid was "somewhat beneficial for investigators" working on the child rape. Residents said the child rape was definitely an issue with the officers conducting the raid. Tair Rivers, who lives across the hall from the apartment where the rape took place, was arrested for outstanding parking tickets. She said one officer screamed at her, "What happened to the little girl?" Rivers said she was away for the weekend, but would tell police of she knew anything.

The Rowan Towers is infamous for drug dealing, gang activity and violent crime, and police are investigating as to whether any of the participants are associated with gang activity or drug dealing. Area Councilwoman Annette Lartique says that, "I know we are going to send a message on this one. Everybody will pay a price, from the person who opened the door to the person who pushed the elevator button."

Anyone with information on this case should call police at 609-989-4170, or the Confidential Tip Line at 609-989-3663.

Sources: Philly.com-Police: Teen prostituted stepsister, 7; Philly.com-NJ Man Held in Rape of Teen; Trenton Times-Teen sold sister, 7, for sex