NEWARK, N.J. (1010 WINS) — A Newark man made his first court appearance on Wednesday, charged with sex trafficking at the conclusion of a yearlong investigation, the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey announced.
Amin Sharif, 47, is charged with one count of attempted sex trafficking an adult woman and one count of sex trafficking a minor.
According to officials, authorities have been investigating Sharif since January 2021 for transporting and attempting to transport women and minors from various states to New Jersey and elsewhere to engage in "commercial sex acts and other illicit conduct."
Sharif allegedly used social media platforms and profiles to recruit women and minors to engage in sex acts for money. After making contact, the defendant allegedly used threats to coerce victims into engaging in commercial sex acts.
Officials said he then allegedly advertised women and at least one underage girl online for commercial sex acts.
The defendant also transported at least one underage girl in another state into New Jersey and attempted to transport a woman located in another state into New Jersey using a commercial plane.
Each count Sharif faces is punishable by a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison.
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