He controlled women, girls with drugs and violence. Now he’s guilty of human trafficking.

WEST PALM BEACH — Under the threat of violence and through the use of drugs, Orlith Joseph kept multiple women and teenage girls under his control, selling them for sex in motels from West Palm Beach to Fort Lauderdale, investigators alleged in arresting him in 2020 on human trafficking charges.

Last week, Joseph pleaded guilty to three counts of human trafficking as well as single counts each of deriving proceeds from prostitution and trafficking in heroin.

Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Caroline Shepherd on Aug. 29 sentenced Joseph to 17 years on each of the trafficking charges and 15 years on the prostitution charge, with the sentences to be served concurrently.

Finally, an outcome: Five years later, one of Palm Beach County’s first human trafficking arrests ends in guilty plea

5 years, 225 victims, 57 arrests: Task force tracks human trafficking in Palm Beach County

What is human trafficking, and why does it matter?

State and federal law defines human trafficking as transporting, soliciting, recruiting, harboring, providing, maintaining or obtaining a person for the purpose of exploiting that person for either commercial sex activity, labor or other services through the use of force, fraud or coercion.

In 2017, the county formed a human trafficking task force of local and federal law enforcement agencies, and victim services providers.

In the past five years, authorities have arrested more than 50 people in Palm Beach County for the offense, resulting in nearly two dozen federal or state convictions either at trial or through plea agreements.

Women told investigators of drugs, violence, threats

Prosecutors accused Joseph, 34, of exploiting at least five women and girls in both Palm Beach and Broward counties. The Office of Statewide Prosecution filed charges against him in August 2020. The agency prosecutes cases that involve two or more judicial circuits in Florida.

Investigators alleged that in one instance, Joseph “groomed” a woman through acts of kindness, only to become violent when she tried to stop working for him. In another instance, he was accused of selling a juvenile for sex through online advertisements.

One of Joseph’s accusers told investigators he had sex with her, gave her the stimulant drug “Molly,” or MDMA, then directed her to work as a prostitute.

Another said Joseph took a photo of her driver’s license and address and threatened to find and catch her if she tried to run.

Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on Twitter at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Human trafficking conviction sending Florida man to prison

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