BUFFALO, N.Y. — A man from Buffalo was indicted Friday and charged with four counts of sex trafficking.
Michael McDonald, also known as George Jackson or Rabbit, 41, has been charged for his involvement in sex trafficking four victims dating back to 2017.
It is alleged that McDonald recruited a female from Buffalo to “dance” and “strip” in Florida using Facebook. He told her she would not have to engage in prostitution.
Once the woman traveled from Buffalo to Florida, he raped her and forced her into prostitution in both Florida and Buffalo. The victim continued to engage in sex acts for McDonald out of fear and stated that McDonald assaulted her on numerous occasions.
The next incident happened in January of 2018, when the Plantation Police Department in Florida responded to a residence after receiving a 911 call that an individual was being held against her will. The second female victim was rescued from the house. She told investigators that she met the McDonald and flew from New York to Florida.
Once in Florida, she said McDonald sexually assaulted her and forced her to perform sexual acts for money against her will. When she attempted to leave, the victim said McDonald stopped her and threatened to beat her if she attempted to leave again.
In January of 2017, the third victim was recruited on Snapchat through an individual she knew when she was a teenager. When conversations first began, McDonald lied to third victim stating he could help her fulfill her dreams of becoming a singer and help her obtain custody of her children. He said he knew Beyonce.
After meeting McDonald, the victim told investigators the he allowed another man to rape her and made her feel that all she could do was work as a prostitute for him. McDonald controlled every aspect of her and life and isolated her from her friends and family. The victim stated that McDonald also routinely beat, choked, and raped her.
McDonald is accused of trafficking a total of four victims. If convicted, the charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life.
