Self-described pastors charged with sex trafficking and forced labor in NJ

NEWARK, N.J. (PIX11) -- A man from New Jersey who claimed to be a church pastor is facing multiple charges alongside his wife after both were accused of sex trafficking and forced labor, according to Alina Habba, the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey.

The 60-year-old man faces charges of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion as well as forced labor meanwhile his 63-year-old wife was charged with conspiracy to commit forced labor.

According to the court documents the man and his wife were said to be founders and pastors of a church called "Jesus is Lord by the Holy Ghost,” which they operated out of an apartment building in Orange, a township in New Jersey.

Between 2011 and 2020, the pair recruited people who were facing personal struggles with their families and finances and told them that disobeying directions would result in spiritual retribution as well as homelessness, hunger, and more hard labor, attorneys said in court.

The victims were forced to work throughout the township while the pastors withheld their pay. The husband and wife also isolated their victims, deprived them of sleep, and fed them only once a day, the district attorney reports.

This while the 60-year-old man also repeatedly sexually assaulted one woman in particular, court documents show.

“The Department of Justice will not tolerate the exploitation of vulnerable individuals under the guise of faith or community,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

"This Civil Rights Division is committed to holding accountable those who abuse positions of trust to manipulate and control others for personal gain."

If found guilty the couple could face anywhere from 15 years to life in prison. Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to call the HSI Human Trafficking Hotline at (866) 347-2423 or email [email protected].