Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 23-year-old Derek Harris of Buffalo has pleaded guilty before State Supreme Court Justice Christopher J. Burns to one count of Sex Trafficking and two counts of Promoting Prostitution in the Third Degree. 

Harris admitted running a sex trafficking operation out of the Boulevard Inn Motel on Niagara Falls Boulevard in Amherst involving several victims, some as young as 14 years old. Harris offered these girls on various internet sites to patrons, and then negotiated prices with them for various sexual acts. When these acts were completed, Harris collected the money for himself. 

Harris faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison when he is sentenced by Justice Burns on November 28, 2017 at 9:30 a.m. 

“Trafficking is a scourge to our community, and it is far more prevalent than many realize. These criminals prey on the vulnerabilities of their victims – whether it’s age, or addiction, or poverty—and exploit these vulnerabilities for their own financial benefit,” says DA Flynn. “These cases require a tremendous amount of investigative work to develop into successful prosecutions like this one, and I commend the Amherst Police Department and our partners on the Human Trafficking Task Force for helping to bring this case to justice.” 

Assistant District Attorney Ryan D. Haggerty prosecuted the case.