NEWARK, N.J. — A New Jersey man was sentenced to more than 25 years in prison for coercing and inducing women to travel for the purpose of engaging in prostitution following an investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark and FBI Newark.
Jose Torres, 46, of Middlesex County, received a 311-month sentence for persuading, inducing and enticing women to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution by the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey in Newark. Torres was previously convicted of all four counts of a second superseding indictment following a six-day trial.
“The sentencing of Jose Torres represents the culmination of an intense federal investigation into Torres’ illicit human trafficking scheme and the bravery of the victims who came forward to testify,” said HSI Newark acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker. “Our partnership with the FBI and U.S. attorney’s office resolved to hold this criminal accountable for the trauma he inflicted on the women he extorted for his own depraved sexual gratification. Survivors of sexual exploitation uncovered during this case are finally afforded a measure of justice knowing Torres will serve a lengthy prison term.”
According to investigation, From May 2015 to October 2019, Torres persuaded, induced and enticed female victims — often commercial sex workers — to travel from out of state locations, including Canada and New York, to engage in prostitution with him. In each instance, Torres trolled prostitution websites and targeted out-of-state sex workers. He lured them to New Jersey with promises of large payment. Once the women were in New Jersey, Torres refused to pay them. When the victims asked for payment, Torres became aggressive, often assaulting and raping them.
In addition to the prison term, Torres was sentenced to 15 years of supervised release and imposed a $5,000 special assessment for trafficking.
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About HSI
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel and finance move. HSI’s workforce consists of over 10,000 employees, assigned to 235 offices within the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI's international presence represents the DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.