Singer Yamir Gorritz Arrested, Faces Human Trafficking Charges
Singer and popular guest on a Miami Spanish-language variety show Yamir Gorritz is facing human trafficking charges, according to CBS Miami.
Gorritz, originally from Puerto Rico, is also well-know for his Spanish music videos on YouTube.
The 36-year-old singer's cousins, Kristian Joseph, 32, and Mariela Perez, are also facing charges of human trafficking and deriving proceeds from prostitution. Perez is a Latin entertainment industry publicist.
The three allegedly forced a young Miami woman to prostitute herself through the notorious website, BackPage.com. Police describe the site as a hub for illegal sex trafficking.
Undercover detectives arranged a meeting with the teen who then pointed to the three as the main players behind the prostitution.
The woman, who is in her early 20s, told police Gorritz, Joseph and Perez forced her to prostitute herself over the course of two years.
Perez is accused of organizing hotel rooms and the clients for the woman.
"They used every manner possible to force her into prostitution. They would make her earn somewhere around $300 a day," said State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle.
Gorritz's lawyer, David Seltzer, claims the singer is innocent.
"My client is an upstanding businessman, pop star, his career is doing very well about to have his big break and looking forward to getting out there for his fans and there's no reason my client needs to make $300 a day for this woman," said Seltzer. "She's trying to get her 15 minutes of fame here and in the process, she's trying to ruin his career."
Gorritz had previously gained notoriety in 2007 for giving paparazzi a sex tape he made with pop star Noelia.
He allegedly gave the sex tape to Puerto Rican paparazzi while working for Noelia's stepfather, with whom she had feuded with for years.
"I handed it over because I feared for my life; the way they spoke to me on the phone was not very pleasant," he told People en Español at the time. "I feared for my life, for the safety of my kids, and of my wife. I gave it to them thinking it was in good hands."
Since then, Gorritz has gained a following in Miami. He became a staple on the Miami Spanish-language channel AmericaTeve.
The state attorney believes the trio is guilty and there may be more victims out there.
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