Binghamton Sex Trafficking Retrial Underway

A suspect in a local sex trafficking ring is back in Federal Court in Binghamton for a retrial.

28-year-old Antonio Ballard of Binghamton is accused of selling three teenaged girls into prostitution in 2014 in Broome County using the internet site Backpage.com.

Jurors convicted Ballard in March 2016 but he successfully appealed and was granted a new trial last March.

Ballard claimed he was “framed” while the prosecution also had issues and said they had not been allowed to introduce some evidence in the case.

Ballard allegedly had a 15-year-old and 16-year-old girl working for him as prostitutes, handing over half of the money they were paid to have him provide security for them.  He was also accused of using physical force to keep girls in prostitution.

Ballard had been convicted of six counts of felony sexual trafficking of a child and two felony counts of persuading and inducing a child to engage in prostitution as was sentenced to 17 years in prison.

The retrial in Binghamton began November 29.