A Bronx man has been sentenced to 11 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick for sex trafficking a minor, federal prosecutors announced on Thursday, March 14. The sentencing followed the defendant’s conviction on all counts at his trial on May 9, 2023. In addition to the prison term, the defendant, Michael Paschal, 53, of The Bronx was sentenced to five years of supervised release.

Reacting to the announcement, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said, “Michael Paschal trafficked a vulnerable teenager who was one third his age, promising her food and shelter and immediately turning on her. He exploited the victim for his own financial gain, and when confronted by law enforcement, he showed no remorse for his despicable actions.”

Williams added, “Thanks to the courageous testimony of the victim, our law enforcement partners, and the career prosecutors of this office, today, he was justly sentenced to over a decade in prison for his crimes.”

According to the indictment and statements made during court proceedings and filings, in July 2020, Paschal induced a minor victim (“Minor Victim-1”) to travel from another state to his Bronx home with the intent to sex traffic the victim. Paschal operated a prostitution business from his Bronx home, and Minor Victim-1 stayed at Paschal’s home for several weeks in July 2020, during which time Paschal directed the victim to engage in commercial sex and profited from it.

The court heard that Minor Victim-1 was then returned to her home state, but several weeks later, Paschal again began sex trafficking her from his Bronx home once again. He posted prostitution ads containing sexually explicit photographs of the victim and communicated with sex buyers to facilitate commercial sex with her.

The court also heard that Paschal sex trafficked Minor Victim-1, and worked with others to ensure that she was engaging in commercial sex for his profit, for weeks until she was recovered from Paschal’s home in or about December 2020. When confronted, Paschal told law enforcement, in sum and substance, “What’s the big deal? She’s about to turn 18 anyway.”

Meanwhile, Williams praised what he described as the “outstanding work” of Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by the federal prosecutor’s general crimes unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Mead, Jackie Delligatti, and Jane Kim led the prosecution.