A Long Island woman has pleaded guilty to sex trafficking and other charges in a disturbing case that centered on the disappearance of a 14-year-old girl. The plea brings one of the defendants in the case a step closer to a lengthy prison term, closing part of a prosecution that grew out of the teenager's monthlong ordeal.
The woman was identified as 52-year-old Jacquelyn Comiskey. She was among those charged in connection with the kidnapping of the girl, a teenager from Patchogue, and now stands as one of the defendants to formally admit guilt rather than take the case to trial.
The case revolves around the disappearance of the 14-year-old, who vanished from Patchogue and was missing for nearly a month. Her absence set off a search that stretched on for weeks before investigators were finally able to locate her.
The girl was ultimately found on a boat in Islip last year, bringing an end to the weeks she had spent missing. The discovery on the vessel became a turning point in the investigation, opening the door to the charges that followed against multiple people.
As part of her plea, Comiskey admitted to driving the girl to have sex with another defendant while the teenager was missing. That admission placed her directly within the trafficking scheme that authorities say exploited the girl during the time she was gone.
The guilty plea means Comiskey now faces a fixed prison term rather than the uncertainty of a trial. She is expected to be sentenced to 12 years behind bars, with the sentencing scheduled to take place in October.
Comiskey is one of several people who were charged in connection with the girl's disappearance and trafficking, and her plea marks one resolution within the broader case. The outcome underscores how the monthlong disappearance of a single teenager unfolded into a wide criminal prosecution on Long Island.