Rabbi, 2 others accused of trafficking, prostituting teen girl in New Jersey
EAST BRUNSWICK, New Jersey (WABC) -- Three people, including a New Jersey rabbi, are facing charges in connection with the human trafficking and prostitution of a teenage girl.
Authorities say 35-year-old Aryeh Goodman, who runs a religious learning out of his East Brunswick home, is charged with engaging in prostitution with a child and endangering the welfare of a child. Parents say his wife runs an ultra Orthodox pre-school in the area.
Prosecutors say 18-year-old Gabriella Colon and 23-year-old Richard Ortiz, both from the Bronx, sold the sexual services of a 17-year-old girl from Pennsylvania to more than two dozen men, including the rabbi. They are now charged with 11 criminal counts, including human trafficking.
"The investigation determined that Colon and Ortiz sold the sexual services of a 17-year-old female to approximately 30 men from January 1, 2018 to February 2, at a hotel in East Brunswick," a spokesperson said.
Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey said that while Goodman was performing in a religious capacity at a Jewish religious center out of his home and may have affiliation with another center on Lexington Avenue in East Brunswick Township, Goodman and his center are not affiliated with the Chabad Lubavitch movement.
The suspects are also facing child pornography charges.
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