~ For trafficking, unlawful detention ~
PHILIPSBURG--The owner of Border Bar (Sunset Retreat) erotic entertainment club in Oyster Pond has been sentenced to 54 months, 18 of which were suspended, with two years' probation.
Judge Monique Keppels of the Court in First Instance convicted Ignacio A. Priest (64) on Wednesday of trafficking and exploiting seven women from the Dominican Republic who were forced to work as prostitutes in his brothel.
The Court also considered it proven that Priest had detained his female employees unlawfully by holding them behind lock and key inside their quarters outside the establishment's opening hours.
In addition, the brothel owner was found guilty of possession of several weapons, among them a 12-gauge shotgun with 20 shells, a blackjack, three canisters with pepper spray, two batons and a fake firearm.
For these crimes, which were all committed between February and August 2011, the Prosecutor's Office had requested that the court sentence Priest to six years.
It became clear during the six-hour trial on February 29 that Priest had recruited the women in the Dominican Republic and had forced them to have sex with customers at his business, while taking advantage of their vulnerable position.
The Court found it proven the Border Bar owner had exploited these women, housing them in small rooms against a daily fee of US $53, while they were also charged between $1,700 and $3,500 for their so-called work contracts, work permits and their flight to St. Maarten.
They had to pay off these early debts before receiving any income, while their financial situation was made even worse by an elaborate system of fines for all kinds of alleged violations of rules. The women had to work seven days per week, and were very limited in their freedom of movement. After working hours, the entrance gate to their bedrooms was closed from the outside.
Their passports were taken to prevent them from running away and they were allowed to leave the premises only sporadically and then only in the company of a customer or Border Bar employee.
The judge rejected attorney-at-law Cor Merx's comparison of Priest with a father locking the doors and gates to keep his family safe at night. The judge said the reasoning didn't hold water, because in that situation the doors and gates would have been closed from the inside, and not from the outside.
Priest didn't show any emotion while the sentence was being read out to him. Judge Keppels told him he was found guilty of human trafficking and had kept the women against their will. "Women have been exploited for your own financial gain which affected their physical integrity and limited their personal freedom," the Judge said.
In sentencing, the Judge took into account that Priest had not been convicted before.
It is not yet known whether the brothel owner will appeal the sentence. His attorney stated he would need to study the verdict with his client before making any decision on a possible appeal.
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