By Alex Eriksen
It was the fourth time Eric,18, and Taniesha Sanders,37, a son and his mother, stood together before Judge John Walsh. For Eric, it was his fifteenth.
As they walked in, hands cuffed behind their backs, Judge Walsh did not acknowledge Eric as someone familiar. The two first met in September 2009, when Eric Sanders was indicted on a felony weapons charge and for reckless endangerment. He would later plead guilty; he has yet to be sentenced.
The Sanders’ each now stand charged with nine felonies, chief among them sex trafficking. If found guilty, they could be sentenced to up to 25 years in prison. The Sanders’ are two of a number of defendants facing trial, thanks to a newly formed task force within the District Attorney’s office, the Sex Trafficking Unit.
The indictment, handed down by District Attorney Charles Hynes, tells a chilling story. The Sanders’, along with their cousin, a prostitute working for Ms. Sanders, Bernatdette Mosely,32 forced a 16-year-old girl to become a prostitute. The indictment also alleges she was forced to have sex with Eric.
The girl had been living with Ms. Sanders after escaping from a turbulent situation at her previous home. It was at that time the Sanders’ pushed her into the sex trade, threatening her with abuse.
According to the Assistant District Attorney Lauren Hersh, that girl is now cooperating with police in their investigation, showing them where the Sanders’ had taken her to trade sex for money.
Edward Mandery, the Sanders’ lawyer, argued that Hersh had not provided the times and places his clients allegedly enabled prostitution. “It’s impossible to nail down the defense,” he told Walsh.
“This is just going to come back to me,” he said, “file a motion, both of you, do your investigations and file a motion.” Walsh may be concerned that a trial can be delayed on a technicality, like an ongoing investigation still mining for proof.
The Sanders’ did not have anything to say in court. The pair had their hair done up in braids, Eric’s hanging down around his ears and his mother, Taniesha, wore her’s wrapped tightly around in a swirl of thin chords. She looked on the verge of tears. Eric appeared stoic, glancing back once or twice to the members of his family sitting in the audience.
The trial is set to begin Jan. 26. They have pled not guilty.
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