- Jalene Lugo, 14, said she regularly walks past sex workers on her way to school
- Elmhurst residents compared the area to a “red light district” in Bangkok.
- Companies complain that they are losing money because customers are deterred from visiting
New York schoolchildren have complained about being forced to walk past “Venezuelan prostitutes” in broad daylight, with their neighborhood being compared to a Bangkok “red light district.”
High school students recounted encountering sex workers “virtually on every block” along the Jackson Heights-Corona border.
Jalene Lugo, 14, said she passed several provocatively dressed women in a 93rd Street doorway earlier this week, and not for the first time.
“During school hours they are outside,” the high school freshman told PIX 11 News. “They’ll be out with their pimps and they won’t care.”
Other residents described the scene as “a red light district, similar to Bangkok.”
Sex workers were seen on the streets during the day, many of whom were aggressively soliciting as soon as children left school or during lunch breaks
The mayor said the city has identified two locations of concern – one in East New York and the other on Roosevelt Avenue (pictured above).
Jalene’s mother, Massiel Lugo, a local activist who has previously held rallies on the issue, says more needs to be done to keep the area safe for youth
Ramsay Frias, of Elmhurst, told the outlet, “It’s scary that there’s no moral compass anymore. “It was never perfect when I was growing up, but now it’s lawless.”
Jalene’s mother, Massiel Lugo, a local activist who has previously held rallies on the issue, says more needs to be done to keep the area safe for youth.
Lugo said, “We understand that these women need money, but they shouldn’t be doing this while they’re in school.” “We’re seeing more Latina women engaging in prostitution.”
She has launched a petition to “take back” the community, which has so far garnered more than 1,600 signatures.
Meanwhile, companies have warned that the activity is causing them to lose money. A mobile phone shop owner said that customers no longer wanted to come in due to the presence of sex workers outside.
But state Assembly member Cataline Cruz, who researched sex trafficking before being elected in the Queens borough, opposes criminalizing prostitution.
“However we choose to enforce the law, remember that these are human beings,” Cruz said. “You deserve dignity. You deserve protection.”
She said she would support decriminalization if the right support was in place.
However, Mayor Eric Adams remains strongly opposed to the decriminalization of prostitution. He said the massive increase in advertising was linked to the refugee crisis.
New York City’s red light district is being fueled by the refugee crisis, Mayor Eric Adams said
“There are real issues surrounding illegal sex work,” he said. “Not just through sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) – also through sex trafficking, with young girls taking part in it.”
He confirmed that police had indicated that many of the sex workers were Venezuelan.
He added: “This is what happens when you create an atmosphere where people cannot look after themselves.”
He also criticized “elected officials who are fighting against us and trying to legalize sex work.”
Elmhurst residents have previously described brothels in the area as “an open secret.”
In June, a facility in Woodside was closed following an undercover police sting operation. Two women in their 60s were arrested for prostitution.
Neighbors have been calling for the closure for some time, saying there are other brothels in the area, the Jackson Heights Post reports.