Four Men Charged with Conspiring to Engage in Sex Trafficking of a Minor

NEWARK, NJ—Four men from Haverstraw, New York, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have been charged in federal court with conspiring to engage in the sex trafficking of a minor, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Karl Venord, 30, a/k/a “Dreadhead,” and Samuel Verrier, a/k/a “Dre,” 35, both of Philadelphia, were charged by complaint with conspiring to engage in the sex trafficking of a minor. Both are scheduled to appear in Newark federal court later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen C. Mannion.

Varian Charles, 28, a/k/a “Bob,” of Philadelphia, was indicted August 27, 2013, by a federal grand jury for conspiring to engage in the sex trafficking of a minor. He was previously charged with the same offense in a criminal complaint and appeared in Camden federal court on July 24, 2013, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ann Marie Donio, where he was ordered detained.

Wilbur Senat, 23, a/k/a “Wilby,” of Haverstraw, was charged in a criminal complaint with conspiring with Charles to engage in the sex trafficking of a minor. He appeared in Newark federal court on August 6, 2013, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor, where he was ordered detained.

According to the documents filed in this case:

In the summer of 2011, the minor victim met Senat in upstate New York. Shortly after they met, Senat allegedly took the minor victim to a motel in Nyack, New York. At the motel, Senat forced the victim to engage in commercial sex acts with various individuals, who paid Senat money in exchange for the sex acts performed by the minor victim.

Shortly after this incident, Senat allegedly threatened the victim that if she did not agree to leave New York with him, her family would be harmed. As a result of these threats, the victim agreed to leave with Senat. Senat then purchased tickets for himself and the victim to travel from New York City to Philadelphia via public transportation.

Upon arriving in Philadelphia, the victim and Senat were picked up by Charles. Charles took them back to his house in Philadelphia, where Senat and Charles told the victim that she would be staying at Charles’ house in order to engage in prostitution. While at Charles’ house, the victim was forced to have sex with various individuals, who paid Senat and Charles in exchange for the sex acts performed by the victim. While the victim was staying at Charles’ house, she was also physically abused by Senat and Charles.

While at Charles’ house, the victim met Verrier. Verrier took the victim from Charles and told her that she could make more money working for him. Verrier then brought the victim to various clubs in Philadelphia, where he instructed her to solicit club patrons for sex acts in exchange for money.

In late August 2011, after the victim began working for Verrier, he introduced her to Venord. Venord and Verrier asked the victim to accompany them on a car ride to New Jersey. The victim agreed, because she thought she would be taken to visit her family member who lived in New Jersey.

During the drive to New Jersey, Venord and Verrier told the victim that they intended to blackmail an individual who was in New Jersey. Venord and Verrier told the victim that she was to have sex with this individual and take photographs of him and that they would use these photographs to blackmail him.

Venord and Verrier drove the victim to Bordentown, New Jersey, to locate the individual that they intended to blackmail. After locating the individual outside a bank, Venord and Verrier attempted to have the victim proposition the individual, but they were unsuccessful in this attempt.

The count of conspiracy to engage in the sex trafficking of a minor is punishable by a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison. It also carries a maximum fine of $250,000.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford, with the investigation leading to the charges.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Wolfe in Trenton and Courtney M. Oliva in Newark.

The charges and allegations summarized above are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.