Defendant Douglas Welch, also known as “Paradise,” pictured here from his dog business Instagram account @vipbullies, faces federal charges including sex trafficking and witness murder conspiracy.
Screenshot via Instagram
Douglas Welch, also known as “Paradise,” was arrested on Tuesday after an indictment was unsealed in Brooklyn Federal Court, charging him with multiple counts including sex trafficking by force, sex trafficking conspiracy, interstate prostitution and promotion of prostitution.
Welch was arraigned Tuesday afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge James Cho.
“As alleged, Welch has trafficked multiple women for his own financial benefit while boasting about the cruel and brutal violence he has inflicted on the vulnerable victims,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace. “Running a brazen, open-air commercial sex market in East New York or anywhere else in our district is unacceptable, dangerous to our communities, and especially harmful to women caught in this terrible cycle of abuse.”
The charges stem from Welch’s alleged operation on a stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue in Brooklyn, known locally as the “Penn Track.”
The “Penn Track” refers to a stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue in Brooklyn that has been identified as an open-air market for commercial sex acts. According to the indictment, Douglas Welch and others have allegedly forced trafficking victims to engage in commercial sex acts with customers in cars or nearby hotels along this area.
From the summer of 2021 to January 2023, Welch is reported to have trafficked women through force, fraud and coercion in Penn Track. According to evidence, Welch directed these women to engage in commercial sex acts in cars or nearby hotels, collecting the proceeds. He maintained control through violence and threats, as supported by numerous recorded calls.
In one particularly incriminating call on Aug. 31, 2021, Welch said, “I ended up punching … three of her teeth out … I…
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