NEW JERSEY (PIX11) – A Brooklyn man pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit child sex trafficking, posting the victim's photo more than 100 times on escorting websites, the United States Attorney District of New Jersey announced Tuesday.
According to court documents, for more than a year, 30-year-old Soauib Butcher and an accomplice who was involved in prostitution forced the victim to perform sex acts on various individuals.
In August 2019, Butcher instructed the victim, who was not yet 18 years old, to travel on the train from Bridgewater, NJ, to Somerville, NJ. Butcher then traveled to fetch the victim. Upon meeting, Butcher took the victim to a rooftop apartment in Brooklyn to perform a sex act on an unknown individual in exchange for money, according to court documents.
After this interaction, Butcher let the victim know she was to meet an accomplice so the victim could learn how to engage in various commercial sex acts.
“Between on or about August 17, 2019, and December 22, 2019, Co-Conspirator-1 posted advertisements that featured photographs of Victim-1 to an escort website more than approximately 200 times, including approximately three times on or about December 22, 2019,” an indictment read.
During this time, customers would pay the victim or Butcher for the teen's services. Butcher would then pay for the victim's food and clothing. Butcher, his accomplice, and the victim lived in a series of hotels with the victim.
Conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor carries a maximum term of life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Butcher’s accomplice has not been named. He is due back in court for sentencing in February 2025.
Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here.
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