WELLINGTON, Fla. — A Wellington man will spend the rest of his life in prison for human trafficking a teenage girl and forcing her into commercial sex work.
Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that 45-year-old Raul Brown received a life sentence after being convicted on multiple charges for trafficking a minor.
"This predator knowingly took advantage of a child who was in a vulnerable position," Uthmeier said in a statement.
The investigation began in June 2021 when the Florida Department of Children and Families referred the case to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Human Exploitation and Trafficking Unit.
Investigators found that Brown targeted a 16-year-old girl who had recently moved to the United States from another country. Brown convinced the teen to move into his Wellington home, where he forced her to work as a stripper and engage in sexual acts, keeping half of the money she earned.
Authorities also discovered Brown was doing the same thing to an adult woman living in the house, using her earnings to fund his lifestyle.
Brown was arrested by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office in August 2023.
Brown was convicted on five charges, including human trafficking of a child, promoting the sexual performance of a child and deriving support from proceeds of prostitution.
