A man from Hudson County, New Jersey, has been charged with enticing a minor to engage in criminal sexual conduct. Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced the charges against Ryan Niksa, 34, of Jersey City. He was charged in a one-count complaint and made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark federal court on January 29, 2025. Niksa was ordered detained.
Court documents reveal that since around August 2024, Niksa communicated with a minor victim located in another state through social media and text messages. The exchanges included sexually explicit photos and videos. Niksa expressed a desire to live with the minor victim and discussed traveling to her home state and running away to another country to evade law enforcement.
The charge of enticement of a minor carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and can result in a maximum penalty of life imprisonment along with a $250,000 fine.
Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the FBI under Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, the Jersey City Police Department led by Director James Shea, and the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office under Prosecutor Esther Suarez for their roles in the investigation leading to these charges.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Thompson from the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit is representing the government in this case.
"The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations," noted authorities, "and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty."
Defense counsel for Ryan Niksa is Shaiba Rather, Assistant Federal Public Defender.