A New York resident has been convicted for attempting to lure and sexually assault a minor, according to an announcement from Acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and the Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ). The case was prosecuted in Bergen County Superior Court.
Shaheen Lariff, 56, of New City, New York, was found guilty by a jury on all charges: second-degree luring or enticing a child, second-degree attempted sexual assault, and third-degree endangering the welfare of a child. The trial was overseen by Judge Christopher R. Kazlau.
“Protecting children from sexual predators always will be a top priority for my office,” said Acting Attorney General Davenport. “We will be unrelenting in identifying, prosecuting, and removing those who target children in our communities. The defendant here believed he was talking to a teenager and continued to try and set up an encounter to engage in sexual assault. Though he thought he was talking to a teenager, he was in fact talking to an undercover law enforcement officer. We are grateful to our law enforcement partners for using all available tools to keep our children safe.”
DCJ Director Theresa L. Hilton commented on the case’s implications: “This case shows the dangers that our children face from online predators every day. The excellent work by our prosecutors and law enforcement partners let us intercept this criminal before he could victimize a child.”
Lt. Colonel David Sierotowicz, Acting Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, stated: “This conviction exposes the serious dangers posed by individuals who use the internet to lure and sexually assault children. We will continue to aggressively investigate these crimes, pursue those responsible, and take decisive action to protect our most vulnerable and keep our communities safe.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Lariff communicated with someone he believed was a 15-year-old male through a dating application. He misrepresented his own age as 31 years old and discussed sex acts during their conversations despite being aware of the purported minor’s age. Lariff later traveled to meet the individual at a designated location where he was arrested by law enforcement officers.
Acting Attorney General Davenport credited both the New Jersey State Police (NJSP) and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office with conducting the investigation.
The prosecution team included DCJ Deputy Attorneys General John Donovan and Anton Kiryako along with Management Assistant Ysan Chin.
Second-degree offenses carry potential penalties ranging from five to ten years in state prison and fines up to $150,000. Third-degree charges can result in three to five years imprisonment with fines up to $15,000.
Defense counsel for Lariff was Milagros Camacho of North Bergen, New Jersey.
The New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin holds statewide authority over legal enforcement matters such as this one under its statutory mandate https://www.njoag.gov/. The office aims to protect residents’ lives and property while providing oversight across all counties https://www.njoag.gov/. Its responsibilities include legal representation for the state, crime lab support services, victim advocacy programs, law enforcement regulation, public safety oversight https://www.njoag.gov/, as well as consumer protection initiatives https://www.njoag.gov/.
