Tag:

Human trafficking

Scammers Posing As Police Demand Payments, CT Authorities Warn Scammers Posing As Police Demand Payments, CT Authorities Warn
Scammers Posing As Police Demand Payments, CT Authorities Warn Authorities in Connecticut are warning residents about phone scammers posing as police or special agents, accusing them of a crime, and demanding they pay a fine. Multiple people across the state — and even as far away as Virginia — have reported receiving calls from the Hartford Judicial District State’s Attorney Office, with someone claiming to be an "investigator" or "special agent." This so-called "agent" says the victim has been named or identified in a human trafficking, prostitution, or another criminal investigation and must pay a fine or face potential jail time. That is not how t…
Shirley Man Who Forced Homeless Teen Into Prostitution In Exchange For Food, Shelter Sentenced Shirley Man Who Forced Homeless Teen Into Prostitution In Exchange For Food, Shelter Sentenced
Shirley Man Who Forced Homeless Teen Into Prostitution In Exchange For Food, Shelter Sentenced A Long Island man will spend more than a decade in prison for forcing an 18-year-old homeless woman into prostitution. Javesh Persaud, 34, of Shirley, was sentenced to 12 years behind bars in Suffolk County Court on Wednesday, Dec. 11, after pleading guilty to sex trafficking and related charges. Prosecutors said Persaud met the victim in July 2023 on Omegle, an online chat platform. She had been sleeping in New York City subways and told Persaud she was homeless. Persaud offered her food, clean clothes, a shower, and a place to sleep. He then drove the victim to a parking lot in Shirley …
Two Men Charged In Berks County Underage Human Trafficking Sting: DA Two Men Charged In Berks County Underage Human Trafficking Sting: DA
Two Men Charged In Berks County Underage Human Trafficking Sting: DA Two men have been charged in connection with an undercover operation targeting underage human trafficking in Berks County, authorities announced on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. Keith George Manwiller, 49, of Hummelstown, and Mathew Christian Koroma, 23, of Sinking Spring, were arrested during the sting conducted by the Berks County District Attorney’s Human Trafficking Task Force, according to Chief County Detective Michael Gombar. Both men are accused of responding to online ads placed by detectives on websites commonly used for sexual advertisements. The suspects allegedly agreed to meet and p…
Newark Residents Arrested After Human Trafficking Ring Busted: State AG Newark Residents Arrested After Human Trafficking Ring Busted: State AG
Newark Residents Arrested After Human Trafficking Ring Busted: State AG Seven people have been arrested in the dismantling two human trafficking rings, one in North Jersey and one in South Jersey, authorities said. The rings were based in Essex County and Cumberland County, state Attorney General Matthew Platkin said at a news conference on Tuesday, Dec. 3. Khailah Meekins, 21 and Donte Barkley, 28, both Newark residents, trafficked two 15-year-olds and a 13-year-old in Essex County, Platkin said. Meekins and Barkley arranged sexual encounters for the girls through mobile apps that included online ads featuring nude photos of the minors. The girls would be…
Former PA Senate Chaplain Charged In Sex Trafficking Sting Former PA Senate Chaplain Charged In Sex Trafficking Sting
Former PA Senate Chaplain Charged In Sex Trafficking Sting A Cumberland County pastor faces serious charges after allegedly patronizing a massage parlor at the center of a human trafficking investigation, according to court documents obtained by Daily Voice Wednesday, Nov. 27. Stephen Robert Melton, 65, of Mechanicsburg, a pastor at Big Spring Presbyterian Church in Newville, is accused of paying for sex acts at least 68 times over five months at GL Massage Spa in Carlisle. The charges, filed by the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office, include: Felony Patronizing a Victim of Human Trafficking with Reckless Disregard Misdemeanor…
PA Doctor Accused Of Exploiting 13-Year-Old Girl, Possessing Child Pornography PA Doctor Accused Of Exploiting 13-Year-Old Girl, Possessing Child Pornography
PA Doctor Accused Of Exploiting 13-Year-Old Girl, Possessing Child Pornography ** Warning: The following details may be disturbing to some readers. ** A former Lancaster County family medicine physician is facing felony charges for sexually exploiting a 13-year-old girl and possessing child pornography, according to police, public records, and court documents. Frank Yang Liu, 33, of Manheim, was charged after an investigation by the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, the Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department (NLCRPD), and Lancaster County detectives. Authorities allege Liu used Instagram to exchange explicit messages and images …
22 Arrested In Human Trafficking Stings Across Cumberland County: DA 22 Arrested In Human Trafficking Stings Across Cumberland County: DA
22 Arrested In Human Trafficking Stings Across Cumberland County: DA Twenty-two people were arrested during recent human trafficking operations in Cumberland County, with more arrests expected, District Attorney Seán M. McCormack announced Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. The arrests are part of Operation: Closed2Trafficking, a campaign targeting illegal commercial sex trafficking, and Impact Demand, an initiative aimed at combating the demand for such exploitation. Authorities executed multiple stings over the last month, uncovering alleged criminal activity at massage parlors and through undercover operations, according to McCormack. “These operations are a message…
Long Island Man Charged In Montgomery County's First $2.3M Gold Bar Scam, Police Say Long Island Man Charged In Montgomery County's First $2.3M Gold Bar Scam, Police Say
Long Island Man Charged In Montgomery County's First $2.3M Gold Bar Scam, Police Say A Long Island man is accused of orchestrating a $2.3 million gold bar scam that targeted an elderly Montgomery County mother and her daughter, police say.  Montgomery County police have charged 26-year-old Yash Shah of Baldwin, New York, in a government-imposter scam that defrauded an 88-year-old woman and her 61-year-old daughter out of millions worth of gold bars. Authorities said this is the first reported scam of its kind in the county. According to the Montgomery County Department of Police, the scheme began in February 2023, when the victims were contacted by someone claiming to…
Four More Years? Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares Running For Reelection Four More Years? Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares Running For Reelection
Four More Years? Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares Running For Reelection Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares announced that he will not be seeking the Republican nomination for the governor's seat, and will instead be running for reelection.  In a video posted on social media, the AG touted his track record reducing drug crimes and targeting the state's most violent criminals. I am running for re-election as Attorney General. As Attorney General, I’ve deployed every tool available to keep Virginians safe and violent criminals off our streets. We are not going back to the failed policies of the past; our families' safety and Virginia's future… pic.twi…
Shirley Man Admits Forcing Homeless Teen Into Prostitution In Exchange For Food, Shelter Shirley Man Admits Forcing Homeless Teen Into Prostitution In Exchange For Food, Shelter
Shirley Man Admits Forcing Homeless Teen Into Prostitution In Exchange For Food, Shelter A Long Island man confessed to forcing a homeless teenager into prostitution in exchange for providing her with food and shelter. Javesh Persaud, age 34, of Shirley, pleaded guilty to sex trafficking and related charges in Suffolk County Court on Friday, Oct. 25. Prosecutors said Persaud met the 18-year-old victim in July 2023 on the now defunct website Omegle, which randomly paired strangers for virtual chats. The teen told him she was homeless and sleeping in New York City subways in Manhattan. Persaud told the girl he helped people who were without homes and offered the teen clean clot…
Brooklyn Man Forced NJ Child Into Prostitution: Feds Brooklyn Man Forced NJ Child Into Prostitution: Feds
Brooklyn Man Forced NJ Child Into Prostitution: Feds A 30-year-old Brooklyn man pleaded guilty to forcing a New Jersey girl into prostitution on Tuesday, Oct. 22, authorities said. In 2019, Soauib Butcher brought the girl by train to New York City, where he instructed the victim to perform oral sex for money on a rooftop in Brooklyn, US Attorney Philip Sellinger said.  Several days later, Butcher brought the victim to Elizabeth where, from August 2019 to January 2020, the victim stayed with Butcher and another person in a series of motel rooms, Sellinger said. The conspirator posted advertisements depicting the victim on escor…
Father-Daughter Who Led Human Trafficking Ring Arrested: PA AG Father-Daughter Who Led Human Trafficking Ring Arrested: PA AG
Father-Daughter Who Led Human Trafficking Ring Arrested: PA AG A father and daughter who authorities say was the leader of a long-running human trafficking ring have been arrested, the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office announced on Tuesday, Oct. 22. Terrance L. Jones, 52, has been arrested leading to the disbanding of the Philadelphia-based human trafficking ring and charges against 22 people, according to PA AG. Jones had posed as a woman, known as Julia, to recruit commercial sex workers, who were then taken to and from "dates" by drivers Jones hired, the attorney general's office said. He ran the operation from his residence from 2012 through …
Man Who Watched Girls Changing Charged With Human Trafficking: Dauphin County DA Man Who Watched Girls Changing Charged With Human Trafficking: Dauphin County DA
Man Who Watched Girls Changing Charged With Human Trafficking: Dauphin County DA A man caught assaulting girls and watching them change their clothes has been convicted of human trafficking, the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office announced on Friday, Oct. 11. Kevin Alting, 52, pleaded guilty to criminal attempt to commit trafficking in individuals, unlawful contact with a minor, and indecent assault of a minor under the age of 16 before Judge Scott Arthur Evans on Thursday, Oct. 10, according to the DA’s release. "Under Pennsylvania Law, engaging in a commercial sex act with a minor is Human Trafficking," the DA noted.  Alting’s charges stem from crim…
Cherry Hill-Based TD Bank Fined $3B For Allowing Criminals To Launder Money: Feds Cherry Hill-Based TD Bank Fined $3B For Allowing Criminals To Launder Money: Feds
Cherry Hill-Based TD Bank Fined $3B For Allowing Criminals To Launder Money: Feds TD Bank has agreed to pay about $3 billion in historic penalties after its relaxed policies allowed criminals to launder their money, authorities said. The Canadian bank with U.S. headquarters in Cherry Hill pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to not maintain an anti-money laundering program that complies with the Bank Secrecy Act, filing inaccurate currency transaction reports, and laundering money, the Justice Department said in a news release on Thursday, Oct. 10. TD Bank will pay more than $1.8 billion to resolve the DOJ's investigation and $1.3 billion in a penalty f…
Fugitive Wanted For Human Trafficking Nabbed At Gym In New Rochelle: Police Fugitive Wanted For Human Trafficking Nabbed At Gym In New Rochelle: Police
Fugitive Wanted For Human Trafficking Nabbed At Gym In New Rochelle: Police A 25-year-old fugitive wanted in another state on human trafficking charges was caught at a gym in Westchester, police announced.  The arrest was made on Wednesday, Sept. 25 at around 10:30 a.m., when authorities learned the fugitive was in the area of Nardozzie Place in New Rochelle, according to Captain J. Collins Coyne.  A vehicle connected to the suspect, identified as 25-year-old Nana Gyapong of McLeansville, North Carolina, was soon found at the LA Fitness parking lot at 75 Nardozzi Pl. There, Gyapong was arrested without incident and charged as a fugitive from justice,…
PA Man Gets 5 Years For Sexually Assaulting Girl He Met On Snapchat: Warren County Prosecutor PA Man Gets 5 Years For Sexually Assaulting Girl He Met On Snapchat: Warren County Prosecutor
PA Man Gets 5 Years For Sexually Assaulting Girl He Met On Snapchat: Warren County Prosecutor A 33-year-old Bethlehem, PA man was sentenced to five years in New Jersey State Prison on Friday, Sept. 27, after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl in 2022, authorities said. Garry Bunting was initially charged with human trafficking of a minor, sexual assault, and other offenses in January 2022 after he met up with a 16-year-old girl he talked to on Snapchat, took her from Pennsylvania to New Jersey, and “engaged her in multiple sexual acts,” the Warren County Prosecutor's Office said. Bunting also pled guilty to endangering the welfare of a child and attempted enda…
PA Man Took 5-Year-Old To VA, NY For Sex: USDOJ PA Man Took 5-Year-Old To VA, NY For Sex: USDOJ
PA Man Took 5-Year-Old To VA, NY For Sex: Usdoj A 54-year-old Pennsylvania man has been sentenced after admitting to taking a 5-year-old girl for sex in Virginia and New York, the US Department of Justice announced on Wednesday, Sept. 25.  John Oathout, of Harrisburg, PA, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes in Syracuse, NY on Friday, Sept. 20. He'll serve 25 years in federal prison followed by 20 years of supervised release, and he'll be a registered sex offender for the remainder of his life, according to the USDOJ release.  Oathout admitted to taking the 5-year-old girl on trips out of state w…
9 NY, NJ Spas Selling Sex For Cash Exposed In Federal Investigation, US Attorney Says 9 NY, NJ Spas Selling Sex For Cash Exposed In Federal Investigation, US Attorney Says
9 NY, NJ Spas Selling Sex For Cash Exposed In Federal Investigation, US Attorney Says Four people have been charged with offering sexual favors at nine different massage parlors and spas across North Jersey and New York, federal officials said. Zhejun Piao, 37, a Chinese national, Miyeon Choi, 37, a South Korean national, Shangxian Cui, 36, Chinese national, and Meixiang Jin, 34, of Palisades Park, New Jersey, are charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit interstate travel or transportation in aid of a racketeering enterprise., U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced Friday, Aug. 9. The following nine spas and massage parlors owned and operated by …
Bethlehem Man Paid $24K+ To Filipino Child Sex Traffickers: USDOJ Bethlehem Man Paid $24K+ To Filipino Child Sex Traffickers: USDOJ
Bethlehem Man Paid $24K+ To Filipino Child Sex Traffickers: Usdoj A 49-year-old Pennsylvania man has been sentenced for paying and directing "livestreamed sexual abuse of Filipino children," the US Department of Justice announced on Friday night, Aug. 2.  Harold "Harry" C. Daleus (also known as Dalaeus), Jr., 49, of Bethlehem, was sentenced to 20 years in prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release for the production of child pornography and related offenses, United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero detailed in the release.  Daleus sent over $24,000 to the Philippines over several years, "in order to view the live transmiss…
Men Soliciting Sex From Minors Busted During Undercover Operation: Washington County Sheriff Men Soliciting Sex From Minors Busted During Undercover Operation: Washington County Sheriff
Men Soliciting Sex From Minors Busted During Undercover Operation: Washington County Sheriff Three human trafficking suspects have been taken off the streets following an investigation by the Washington County Sheriff's Office. This week, the agency's Digital Investigations & Forensics Unit arrested three men during an operation focused on Internet-based chats targeting adults who sought out minors for sex, officials say. Investigators used different social media platforms via covert chats and undercover law enforcement officers to chat with and meet up with those adults who solicit sex from children. During the operation, multiple Internet-based contacts and in-pers…
Meek Mill Joins NJ Gov. Murphy To Celebrate Landmark Clemency Effort On Juneteenth Meek Mill Joins NJ Gov. Murphy To Celebrate Landmark Clemency Effort On Juneteenth
Meek Mill Joins NJ Gov. Murphy To Celebrate Landmark Clemency Effort On Juneteenth Gov. Phil Murphy celebrated Juneteenth by announcing a historic initiative in an effort to improve racial justice in New Jersey. The governor signed an executive order on clemency at Saint James AME Church in Newark on Wednesday, June 19. The order establishes standards for people to receive expedited consideration for pardons and commutations. Gov. Murphy said the goal is to fix the racial inequalities that have existed in the criminal justice system. "As we celebrate Juneteenth and reflect on our nation’s ongoing journey toward racial justice for Black and Brown …
Man Accused Of Heading From Maryland To DC For Sex With 6-Year-Old: Feds Man Accused Of Heading From Maryland To DC For Sex With 6-Year-Old: Feds
Man Accused Of Heading From Maryland To DC For Sex With 6-Year-Old: Feds A Maryland man who went out of state with the intention of sexually abusing a 6-year-old child has been indicted on federal charges, authorities announced. Bowie resident Nathaniel Lamar Nelson Scott, 35, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Wednesday charging him with traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct after traveling to DC with the purpose of engaging in illegal activity with the child. In late May, a member of the Metropolitan Police Department FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force posted a message on a website that is frequented …
Virginia Sex Offender Headed To Fed Pen For Conspiring To Live-Stream Child Sex Abuse Virginia Sex Offender Headed To Fed Pen For Conspiring To Live-Stream Child Sex Abuse
Virginia Sex Offender Headed To Fed Pen For Conspiring To Live-Stream Child Sex Abuse A registered northern Virginia sexual offender was sentenced to more than three decades in federal prison for conspiring to live stream sexual abuse of children online with a child sex trafficker in the Philippines, federal officials said. Michael Anthony Baxter, 50, of Sterling, and the man conspired to use children some as young as three years old to produce more than 30 live-streaming webcam shows showing the sexual abuse of children, said Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. Baxter, a registered sex offender convicted in Prince William County Circuit…
Woman Charged For Running Sex, Human Trafficking Ring Across Maryland: AG Woman Charged For Running Sex, Human Trafficking Ring Across Maryland: AG
Woman Charged For Running Sex, Human Trafficking Ring Across Maryland: AG A Baltimore woman has been indicted by a Washington County grand jury in a 135-count indictment stemming from a years-long investigation by the Maryland Attorney General's Office into a human and sex trafficking ring, authorities announced. Kenika Danielle Leach, 33, has been charged following a two-year multi-agency investigation, which helped the AG's Organized Crime Unit to identify nearly a dozen women from Hagerstown who were allegedly trafficked by her and her organization at hotels and motels throughout Maryland. According to the AG, in December 2021, the Baltimore Police Department …
Hudson Man Admits Posting Dark Web Sex Video Of Boy Who Ended Up Taking His Own Life: FBI Hudson Man Admits Posting Dark Web Sex Video Of Boy Who Ended Up Taking His Own Life: FBI
Hudson Man Admits Posting Dark Web Sex Video Of Boy Who Ended Up Taking His Own Life: FBI A Hudson County man admitted sharing sexual videos on the dark web that he got from a minor who subsequently committed suicide, federal authorities said. Authorities arrested Julio Albery Nunez, 27, West New York, for posing as a teenage girl to get an underage boy to send him video of himself masturbating and urinating for money, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. That particular boy wasn’t the only one, records show. Nunez admitted that he “communicated electronically with several other minors and requested and received sexual content from them, including one minor victim who ultima…
19-Year-Old Admits Smuggling Migrants Through Northern Westchester, Threatening Them 19-Year-Old Admits Smuggling Migrants Through Northern Westchester, Threatening Them
19-Year-Old Admits Smuggling Migrants Through Northern Westchester, Threatening Them A 19-year-old man faces years in prison after he was caught trafficking migrants in Northern Westchester, federal officials said. Mario Elpidio Chavez Millan of Albuquerque, New Mexico, pleaded guilty to charges connected to his smuggling of people who illegally entered the United States as well as his participation in a kidnapping scheme, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced on Tuesday, May 7.  According to federal officials, on July 10, 2023, New York State Police in Cortlandt received a report from a person who said their relative had entered…
Creep Paid 13-Year-Old For Sex Acts At Hudson County Motel: Prosecutor Creep Paid 13-Year-Old For Sex Acts At Hudson County Motel: Prosecutor
Creep Paid 13-Year-Old For Sex Acts At Hudson County Motel: Prosecutor A 24-year-old Hudson County man has been charged with human trafficking and a slew of other offenses in connection with sex acts involving a 13-year-old, authorities said. Henry Sunun Sutuj met the 13-year-old girl at a park in North Bergen and offered her money in exchange for sexual acts on Saturday, April 20, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said. He arranged transportation for the girl, who met him at a North Bergen motel, where he sexually assaulted her, Suarez said. The prosecutor's Special Victims Unit, West New York Police Department, North Bergen Police Department, and the Un…
Prostitution Sting: 7 Busted Trying To Pay Holyoke Cops For Sex Prostitution Sting: 7 Busted Trying To Pay Holyoke Cops For Sex
Prostitution Sting: 7 Busted Trying To Pay Holyoke Cops For Sex Seven men were arrested in Hampden County earlier this week for trying to pay an undercover officer for sex in a sting.  Hokyoke police conducted the operation to target human trafficking in the city, authorities said.  Related: 5 Charged In Springfield Undercover Prostitution Sting Each of the men was charged with soliciting sex for a fee, officials said.  Those arrested are: Jorge Lopez — 49 years old Jose Santiago — 68 years old Christopher Laines — 34 years old Josue Ortiz — 29 years old Sarom Soeng — 47 years old Guy Flathers — 72 years old Joseph Fournier — 61 years…
Undercover Sting Leads To Child Exploitation Charges For 4 In CT Undercover Sting Leads To Child Exploitation Charges For 4 In CT
Undercover Sting Leads To Child Exploitation Charges For 4 In CT Four men were charged for allegedly making deals with undercover police to have sex with a 15-year-old girl. The arrests occurred in Hartford County on Friday, April 19, at an undisclosed hotel in Hartford. According to Lt. Aaron Boisvert of the Hartford Police, the Special Investigations Division conducted an undercover sting operation to target and combat child exploitation.  The operation was located at an undisclosed hotel within the City of Hartford. Undercover law enforcement personnel assumed the identity of a 15-year-old girl’s aunt on the internet and engaged in dia…
'Serial Predator' From Mass Tries Paying For Sex With 14-Year-Old Girl: Here's His Sentence 'Serial Predator' From Mass Tries Paying For Sex With 14-Year-Old Girl: Here's His Sentence
'Serial Predator' From Mass Tries Paying For Sex With 14-Year-Old Girl: Here's His Sentence A registered sex offender from Massachusetts with a previous conviction will spend over a decade in prison after trying to pay who he thought was a child sex trafficker for sex with a 14-year-old girl, officials said. Middlesex County resident David Cannon of Lexington, age 61, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for trying to pay for sex with a teenager, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts announced on Tuesday, April 9.  According to federal officials, in November 2022, Cannon replied to an online advertisement that offered commercial sex with two young gir…
Pimp Admits Trafficking Aspiring Teen Model, Lancaster DA Says Pimp Admits Trafficking Aspiring Teen Model, Lancaster DA Says
Pimp Admits Trafficking Aspiring Teen Model, Lancaster DA Says The first man captured by the Lancaster County Human Trafficking Task Force has been sentenced after confessing to his crimes, the District Attorney announced on Monday, April 8. More than two years after his arrest, Louis Fountain, 34 of Brookhaven, Delaware County pleaded guilty to two counts of trafficking individuals, four counts of promoting prostitution, and one count of living off prostitutes before Lancaster County President Judge David Ashworth on March 29, as detailed in the release. Judge Ashworth sentenced him to serve a "prison term of one year, 11 months, and eight d…