In a disturbing turn of events, a mother-daughter duo from Brighton Beach has been indicted on charges related to labor and sex trafficking. The pair, identified as 59-year-old Taya Benayun and her daughter 37-year-old Vladilina Benaun, have been accused of forcing women into prostitution in several illicit massage parlors across Brooklyn. According to the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office, these charges are the result of a community-fed investigation into the duo's activities.
As detailed in the indictment, one victim, a 23-year-old woman who was desperately trying to raise money for her sick father, was referred to the defendants by a friend. She was soon coerced into working long hours and splitting her earnings with the Benayuns. The mother and daughter are alleged to have exploited the victim's vulnerability to an extent where, even after she became ill and was hospitalized, they continued to threaten and push her to work, reportedly harassing her relentlessly with calls and texts.
The Brighton Beach defendants ran their illegal operation across multiple locations in Brooklyn, including parlors at 2281 McDonald Avenue and 1204 Coney Island Avenue. It's at these sites where women were subjected to stringent monitoring via surveillance cameras, underscoring the controlled and coercive nature of the illicit business. One of the victims reported working at two locations, establishing that the operation was not confined to a singular site.
The indictment and subsequent arrests were made possible thanks to the diligent work of officers and officials from the New York City Police Department's Brooklyn Vice Enforcement Division. The police investigation, as noted by the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office, tapped into community concerns regarding a massage parlor that was operating under suspicious circumstances. This led to not only the shutdown of a suspected criminal operation but also opened avenues for victims to receive much-needed support and assistance in the aftermath.
Justice Adam Perlmutter of the Brooklyn Supreme Court has presided over the arraignment of the two women, with bail set at $150,000 cash or $300,000 bond. They are due back in court on February 11, 2026. The legal process will be under the watchful guidance of Assistant District Attorney Mary E. Monahan, the Deputy Chief of the District Attorney’s Human Trafficking Unit, signifying the serious nature of the offenses and the commitment to seeking justice for the victims involved.
