Viando Ricketts, a Queens resident, has been sentenced to 34 years in prison for the rape of two underage girls in separate incidents, as confirmed by the Queens District Attorney's Office. The 31-year-old man was found guilty on numerous counts, including first and third-degree rape, following a jury trial that culminated on March 13. In her statement released, District Attorney Melinda Katz described the severity of the acts, labeling Ricketts as a "sexual predator" who exploited and attacked children.
According to the information obtained by the Queens District Attorney's Office, the incidents date back to 2022, when Ricketts met his first victim, a 16-year-old girl, at their adjacent workplaces. After offering her food, Ricketts took the girl to Belmont Motel in Queens Village. It was there that he proceeded to undress the victim and raped her during the altercation. In an unrelated hospital visit, the second victim, a 12-year-old who had recently fled a group home, reported to medical staff that she was raped by Ricketts at the same motel after being offered alcohol and food at his barbershop.
The Queens Supreme Court Justice Gia Morris passed down the sentence on Ricketts, which includes a consecutive 22-year term for the crimes against the 12-year-old and an additional 12 years for his actions against the 16-year-old. Post sentencing, Ricketts will be subjected to 10 years of post-release supervision and is mandated to register as a sex offender. The saga of manipulation continued as Ricketts, disregarding a protective order, made attempts at contacting the older victim to persuade her in dropping the charges.
Assistant District Attorneys Sean Jaime, Eric C. Rosenbaum, Debra Lynn Pomodore, Brian Hughes, and Lauren Parsons, who are part of the Special Victims Bureau, managed the prosecution under the guidance of Executive Assistant District Attorney Joyce A. Smith. This collaborative effort, as recounted by DA Katz, eventually culminated in securing a conviction, underlining the prosecutor's commitment to supporting the survivors. They extend their gratitude to the young victims who bravely came forward, allowing them to deliver justice and protect future potential victims from similar fates at the hands of Ricketts.
