East Brunswick Rabbi Accused Of Prostituting Teen

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — An East Brunswick rabbi and two residents from the Bronx are accused of prostituting a teenager in East Brunswick, Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey said.

Gabriella Colon, 18, and Richard Ortiz, 23, both of Bronx, New York, face a number of charges, including human trafficking and prostitution, for allegedly selling the sexual services of a 17-year-old Lancaster, Pennsylvania girl out of an East Brunswick hotel room.

Between Jan. 1 and Feb. 2, the pair allegedly sold the teen to 30 men, including Aryeh Goodman, 35, a rabbi from East Brunswick. He has been charged with engaging in prostitution with a child and endangering the welfare of a child for allegedly engaging in sexual relations with the teen.

Goodman operates a Jewish religious center out of his East Brunswick home, Carey said, and might be affiliated with another center on Lexington Ave in the township.

Colon and Ortiz were arrested at a Fort Lee motel on Feb. 16, and Goodman turned himself in to police on Feb. 6. Colon and Ortiz are being held at the Middlesex County Adult Corrections Center with an upcoming hearing.

The investigation is ongoing; anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Chris Farrace or Detective Dan Unkel of the East Brunswick Police Department at (732) 390-6900, or Detective Mark Morris of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at (732) 745-4194.

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