An Essex County man made his initial appearance today on charges of sex trafficking, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
According to U.S. Attorney Sellinger, Amin Sharif, 47, of Newark, is charged by criminal complaint with attempted sex trafficking an adult woman and sex trafficking a minor.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Since January 2021, law enforcement officials have been investigating Sharif for transporting and attempting to transport women and minors from various states to New Jersey and elsewhere for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts and other illicit conduct.
Sharif used several social media platforms and profiles to recruit women and minors to engage in sex acts for money.
Once in contact with his victims, Sharif used threats to coerce the victims into engaging in commercial sex acts.
He advertised women and at least one underage girl online for commercial sex acts.
Sharif also transported at least one underage girl located in another state into New Jersey and attempted to transport a woman located in another state into New Jersey via a commercial airline in furtherance of his sex trafficking conduct.