A man who had been a suspect in sex crimes involving child pornography and human trafficking has been arrested by police in New Jersey.
The man who was the subject of an investigation in Clearwater, Florida, had been living about 15 miles south of Bergen County in Jersey City. The suspect was recently featured on an episode of the popular television crime show "America's Most Wanted."
Police officials say the man was wanted on charges that include the sex trafficking of a minor, production of child pornography and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
A complaint numbering some 23 pages was filed against him in January in a federal court. The complaint alleges the suspect acted as a pimp for a 15-year-old girl who had run away from home. He also was reported to have employed other minors in similar activities. One of the young women reportedly told police that she was a party to between 15 and 20 sexual encounters daily at a cost of $200 each. Her actions allegedly generated an estimated $50,000 in cash for the suspect over a three-week period.
Agents from the FBI, Homeland Security and the Immigration Department arrested the man without incident. He was eventually found through a tip given to police about his whereabouts. Officials could not verify that the tip was generated by someone watching the "America's Most Wanted" television program.
These are the kinds of charges that can haunt a person, even if the allegations are eventually shown to be false or if the prosecution's evidence or witnesses don't prove to be credible in court. There's no way to undo the arrest, but even a federal case can often be effectively challenged in court by an experienced criminal defense lawyer.
Source: ClearwaterPatch.com: "'Most Wanted' Man Arrested in Sex Crimes Investigation": by Jared Leone: Aug. 31, 2011