By: Najla Alexander
Authorities in Mercer County announced that an investigation conducted by the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and the Trenton Police Department has resulted in the arrest of a 51-year-old Trenton man for having explicit contact with two juveniles in the city.
Mercer County Prosecutor Janetta D. Marbrey announced that Rasheen Gaither, 51, is charged with two counts of first-degree aggravated explicit contact, two counts of second-degree explicit contact, and one count of second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor.
The prosecutor’s office has filed a motion to detain Gaither pending trial.
According to Mercer County officials, following reports to police last week that Gaither had explicit contact with two juveniles in August, MCPO Detective Michael Staton and Trenton Police Detective Vishan Singh initiated an investigation.
Probable cause was found, and criminal complaints were filed alleging that Gaither had explicit contact with one of the victims while she was spending the night at his house in Trenton, MCPO officials stated.
Another victim, while she was at an illegal dispensary that Gaither operates in the city, both victims were under the age of 13, Mercer County authorities say.
Mercer County officials said that on September 5, detectives with the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office and Trenton police executed a search warrant at Gaither’s convenience store, “Bagged U,” in the 100 block of Pennington Avenue in Trenton.
He was arrested outside of the establishment without incident, MCPO officials say. 
During a search of the premises, detectives seized approximately four pounds of marijuana and a handgun, MCPO officials said.
Mercer County officials said Gaither was additionally charged with one count of second-degree certain persons not to possess a handgun.