A Long Island landlord was caught offering free rent in exchange for sexual favors from tenants after he shared an advertisement for '...
A Long Island landlord was caught offering free rent in exchange for sexual favors from tenants after he shared an advertisement for 'submissive females.'
The landlord, identified as 'Eddie', made the unsavory post on Craigslist in a post titled 'Room Share for Submissive Female,' Inside Edition reports.
'During these hard times Covid-19 has thrown many in a tail spin,' he wrote.
'If you are a submissive female and wanting to barter session/playtime once per week in lieu of rent we should talk,' he added.
Inside Edition reports man identified as 'Eddie' (pictured) offered women free rent in exchange for sexual favors during the pandemic
Eddie specified that he was looking for women between the ages of 20 and 50-years-old.
The landlord's reported attempt to take advantage of potential tenants comes as millions of Americans are struggling to pay rent due the coronavirus pandemic.
In April, a third of tenants across the country were unable to pay their landlords and the number is expected to go up with May's check due today.
An untold number of those who have been laid off or furloughed are still waiting to receive federal stimulus checks or unemployment benefits from overtaxed state labor departments with antiquated systems.
Federal data released this week show the U.S. economy contracted at a 4.8 percent annual rate last quarter as the pandemic put the nation into a recession.
Economists expect January-March to be just a taste of the widespread pain being recorded for April-June.
And while a record number of people have applied for unemployment insurance payments, there are many other out-of-work people who don't qualify or couldn't get through the states' overwhelmed systems.
When Inside Edition producer Alycia Powers responded to the ad, Eddie reportedly told her he wanted try out the 'arrangement' first and suggested they meet at a local Days Inn in Long Island.
'He says to wear my hair down, no jewelry and minimal makeup,' said Powers.
'And then meet him in the room, undress and put on a pair of stilettos he got me.'
Inside Edition producer Alycia Powers (pictured) was told by Eddie to met him at a local Days Inn to try out the 'arrangement'
Powers, along with a crew of producers hidden around the hotel parking lot, arrived to learn that Eddie had already checked in and asked her to meet him at his room.
Powers convinced Eddie to instead meet her in the parking lot first, where he was met by a camera crew and probing questions about his reported ad.
Eddie told producers he wasn't trying to take advantage of women amid the pandemic.
'No. She had the choice, you know… to take up on the offer,' he said.
'So you were willing to give her a place to stay for free in exchange for sex?' an Inside Edition reporter asked.
'No, I never said sex,' Eddie said, before driving away.
Eddie (left), pictured with Powers (right), said he wasn't taking advantage of women amid the pandemic and 'she had the choice'
Eddie (pictured) later apologized to Powers and said he was a 'decent guy'
He later called Powers to apologize and insist that he's a 'decent guy.'
This latest report comes amid others that have exposed landlords for exchanging sex for financial compensation during the pandemic.
Millions of Americans have struggled to stay afloat as the outbreak shuttered businesses, halted jobs and dealt difficult blows to the economy.
More than 30 million residents have lost their jobs during the pandemic and 3.8 new unemployment benefits claims were filed last week.
In the United States, 1,097,415 have been diagnosed with coronavirus and 63,849 died.
When one victim, who was unable to pay her April rent, reportedly asked he landlord about a more affordable property, but Buzzfeed News reports he answered with a picture of his genitals.
Another said her landlord suggested she com over and spoon him as compensation for rent.
Khara Jabola-Carolus, executive director of Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, said they've received an overwhelming number of calls.
'We’ve received more cases at our office in the last two days than we have in the last two years,' said Jabola-Carolus.
Sheryl Ring, the legal director at Open Communities, added that such practices are illegal.
'We have seen an uptick in sexual harassment,' said Ring.
'Since this started, they [landlords] have been taking advantage of the financial hardships many of their tenants have in order to coerce their tenants into a sex-for-rent agreement — which is absolutely illegal.'
Last week, AG William Barr directed US attorneys across the United States to tackle cases involving corrupt landlords asking for sex in place of rent.
'Such behavior is despicable and it is illegal,' said Barr in a memo. '
And the Department of Justice has not hesitated to intervene when clear misconduct occurs. This behavior is not tolerated in normal times, and certainly will not be tolerated now.'
US attorney Christina Nolan (center) will oversee the coordinated effort to stop housing staff from pushing sex-for-rent agreements
US attorney Christina Nolan was chosen to oversee and coordinate these efforts.
'It is always despicable to exploit vulnerabilities by sexually harassing those in need of housing,' she said in a press release.
'Doing so during a global pandemic, when so many are struggling just to make ends meet, is particularly abhorrent.'
The Justice Department's Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative was launched in 2017 and has filed 14 lawsuits alleging misconduct among housing staff.
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