Trinidadian man in New York pleads guilty to sex trafficking, admits to kidnapping six women

NEW YORK, CMC – A 33-year-old Trinidadian man and lawful permanent United States resident has pleaded guilty to sex trafficking and admitted to kidnapping six additional women.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) said that, during a plea hearing, Chad Barclay admitted that on September 13, 2022, he enticed a woman to his residence to engage in commercial sex, where he robbed and sexually assaulted her.

As part of a plea agreement, Barclay “stipulated to kidnapping six additional women between 2022 and 2023”, according to the DOJ.

The department said Barclay was charged in August 2023 in a 20-count superseding indictment involving five victims.

The charges included interstate prostitution, Hobbs Act robbery, kidnapping, access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, and witness tampering and obstruction of an official proceeding.

In May 2026, Barclay was charged with sex trafficking involving one of the original five victims, as well as interstate prostitution, Hobbs Act robbery, kidnapping and other related offences involving two additional victims, in a second superseding indictment, the DOJ said.

“Chad Barclay has now admitted that he kidnapped, violently raped, and robbed multiple female victims,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

“This prosecution demonstrates that we will always seek justice for survivors of trafficking and abuse to prevent more of these heinous crimes,” he added.

“This type of exploitation and violence has no place in our civilised society.”

Joseph Nocella Jr, US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, described Barclay as “a dangerous predator” who used force and intimidation to sexually assault a victim and admitted to additional conduct, including kidnapping six other women.

“Today’s guilty plea holds him accountable for the devastating harm he inflicted on his victims and sends a clear message that our Office will vigorously prosecute those who use violence, enticement, and coercion to facilitate sex trafficking,” he added.

“We remain committed to protecting victims of this scourge, pursuing justice on their behalf, and ensuring that perpetrators like Barclay are held responsible for their crimes.”

James Barnacle, Assistant Director in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) New York Field Office, said Barclay’s “brutal and predatory actions inflicted profound harm on his victims and demonstrated a clear disregard for their safety and humanity.”

“The FBI and NYPD’s (New York Police Department) joint investigation ensured his conduct was exposed and he was brought before the justice system to answer for his crimes,” he said.

“We will continue working closely with our partners to protect victims and ensure offenders are held fully accountable for their actions.”

The DOJ said Barclay faces a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.

The FBI New York Field Office and the NYPD are investigating the case as part of the Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, the DOJ said.

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