Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Jr., announced today the sentencing of Alex Jean, a 38-year-old man involved in a heinous series of crimes, including kidnapping, rape, and sex trafficking. According to the Manhattan D.A.'s Office, Jean has been sentenced to an extensive term of 75 years-to-life for his egregious actions spanning multiple years against three women.
In a brutal display of power, Jean's operation, which involved numerous kidnappings, subsequent rapes, and the trafficking of victims, sought not just profit but a twisted form of dehumanization. Described by the D.A.'s Office, the convicted felon was found guilty on multiple counts ranging from predatory sexual assault to kidnapping and conspiracy. His reign of terror on the victims ended when the women managed to escape and, showing immense fortitude, testified against him in court. Providing a measure of justice, District Attorney Bragg, in a statement obtained by Manhattan D.A.'s Office, praised the survivors for their "inspiring courage."
The first survivor encountered Jean upon her release from the hospital in 2014. Before she realized what was happening, she was forced into an SUV and later raped at gunpoint. That marked the beginning of a harrowing journey of exploitation, kept in a haze of drugs, to be awakened only by further assault under the watchful eye of a gun-toting Jean, according to trial evidence. Her escape came from a New Jersey motel, the first steps towards Jean's downfall.
Following a stint in prison for unrelated burglary charges, Jean continued his manipulative pattern with a second survivor. The woman, looking to escape a violent relationship and seeking a temporary solution to fight for her child's custody, fell into Jean's deceptive proposal. Once the nature of Jean's menace became clear, she attempted to flee but was recaptured at the hotel she found work, returned to Jean's apartment, and was subjected to repeated rape over two days. She secured her release by convincing Jean of her loyalty, only to later contact the D.A.'s Human Trafficking Unit after learning of Jean's indictment relating to the third survivor.
The third victim was lured under the guise of employment, with the promise of rolling marijuana joints, from outside Covenant House, a youth shelter in April 2021. What awaited her instead were the incessant cycles of sexual violence and trafficking, alternating between Jean's apartment and a Brooklyn hotel, before she, too, found the means to flee.
The prosecution of the case was expertly handled by Assistant D.A.s Marcella Lupski and Tom Kendris, under the guidance of the Human Trafficking Unit heads and support staff including Investigative Analysts and a Clinical Director.
