Underage Prostitution Ring Busted, Essex County Residents Arrested: Prosecutor

By ALEXIS TARRAZI (Patch Staff) 

Several underage girls were allegedly recruited to perform sex acts with clients at motels in several municipalities across Union County, acting Union County Prosecutor Grace H. Park announced Tuesday.

Locations included Union Township and Elizabeth, prosecutors said.

Ibn Shabazz, 26, of East Orange, Sameerah Williams, 19, of Newark, and Antwanajah Barnhill, 19,of Irvington, were arrested at the Airport Hotel Inn and Suites in Elizabeth following a seven-week investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office’s Special Victims Unit.

The three Essex County people had recruited the underage girls and then set up advertisements that sometimes featured photos of their young victims on the “escorts” section of backpage.com, a classified ads website, according to the prosecutor's report.

Clients would contact a phone number on the ads where Shabazz, Williams and Barnhill would arrange a meeting with the victims at several locations in Elizabeth and Union, Park said.

The victims would be told where to go, when, how long their “date” would be, and how much to charge for their services, according to the prosecutor's report.

“Crimes of this nature are particularly horrific because they involve the manipulation of vulnerable underage victims,” Park said. “We hope these charges send a strong message to any of those who would even think about engaging in such abhorrent criminal conduct.”

Shabazz and Williams were both charged with two counts of first-degree human trafficking, two counts of first-degree human trafficking by purchasing advertising for a commercial sex act featuring a depiction of a minor, two counts of first-degree promoting prostitution of a child under the age of 18, two counts of second-degree human trafficking, and two counts of third- degree endangering the welfare of a child.

Barnhill was charged with single counts of first-degree human trafficking, first-degree promoting prostitution of a child under age of 18, second-degree human trafficking, and third-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

Convictions on first-degree criminal charges are commonly punishable by 10 to 20 years in state prison, while second-degree crimes are punishable by 5 to 10 years.

State Superior Court Judge Stuart Peim set bail at $500,000 for Shabazz, $200,000 for Williams, and $150,000 for Barnhill. The defendants are expected to make their first appearances later this week.

The Union County Prosecutor’s Office is actively attempting to identify and locate additional victims in this matter, and anyone with information is being urged to contact Sgt. Gusmano at 908-965- 3877.

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Photos, UCPO: Antwanajah Barnhill, 19,of Irvington, Ibn Shabazz, 26, of East Orange and Sameerah Williams, 19, of Newark.