A 13-year-old girl explains how she was forced into prostitution and eventually into dancing nude at a Miami Beach strip club in an interview just released by the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.
In an audio recording of the interview conducted by a Miami Police detective, the girl said that one of the suspects wanted her to have sex with people. The detective asked who wanted her to do that, and she replied, “My friend Vitto.”
"So I can make money he was like I am going to take half of your money and I am going to give you some,” she explained.
Four people have been arrested on human trafficking charges in the case, including Vilbert “Vitto” Jean, 36. Authorities said the defendants forced the girl, a runaway, into prostitution for their personal gain. When she refused to continue to engage in prostitution, she was forced to dance as an exotic nude dancer at Club Madonna, the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office said.
Marlene San Vincente, 22 – who danced at Club Madonna herself – brought the girl into the club, police said.
“Did you meet the people that ran the club? Did they ask you any questions about yourself? Did they ask you for ID? Nothing?” the detective asked her in the interview.
"Nothing,” the girl replied.
The 13-year-old described having brutal sex with 18-year-old DeWayne Ward – and then how Jean got her on the road to prostitution. Jean told her that she needed to make money, the detective reiterated as he questioned the girl in the interview.
He pressed her to say what exactly the suspects told her about how they wanted her to be a prostitute.
“They were gonna finally get some people for you. You were going to have sex with them,” she said.
Miami Beach city’s manager revoked Club Madonna’s business license after the allegations involving the underaged dancer, calling the illegal activity there a danger to public health. Club Madonna reopened after reaching a settlement with the city and agreeing to make changes to ensure that minors do not dance there and to implement measures to guard against human trafficking.
