A man from Passaic County, New Jersey, has been charged with serious offenses related to child sex trafficking and child pornography. U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced the charges against Keshawn Harley, a 38-year-old resident of Paterson, New Jersey.
Harley faces charges for one count each of sex trafficking of a minor, production of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. He appeared in Newark federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa on May 6, 2025, where he was detained.
Court documents and statements indicate that starting around May 2022, Harley hosted "after-hours" parties at residences in Paterson where minor victims were involved in commercial sex acts. Evidence from Harley's cell phone included images linking him to missing minors and communications about arranging commercial sex work for one victim. The phone also contained videos showing the victim engaged in sexual acts with Harley.
The charge for sex trafficking of a minor includes a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, potentially extending to life imprisonment, along with fines up to $250,000. Producing child pornography carries a minimum penalty of 15 years and can lead up to 30 years in prison plus similar fines. Possession of child pornography can result in up to 10 years imprisonment and fines reaching $250,000.
Special agents from the FBI Newark’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force conducted the investigation leading to these charges under Acting Special Agent Terence G. Reilly's direction. Contributions also came from IRS – Criminal Investigation led by Special Agent Jenifer Piovesan and the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office.
This case is part of efforts by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey’s Human Trafficking Task Force established in 2025. This initiative combines federal and state resources to address human trafficking crimes effectively.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Kober represents the government in this matter.
"The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations," states the release, "and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty."
Defense counsel for Harley is Adalgiza Nunez, Esq.