New Jersey man convicted of enticing minor to travel for illegal sexual activity

NEW YORK — A federal jury found a New Jersey man guilty Wednesday of enticing a minor to travel in interstate commerce to engage in illegal sexual activity. The conviction stems from an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.

Gregory John Schaffer, 34, was convicted of enticement to travel to engage in illegal sexual activity, enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, attempted enticement to travel to engage in illegal sexual activity and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.

Using the website Craigslist, the defendant lured the victim, a 15-year-old girl from Brooklyn, to his Jersey City, New Jersey, office with false promises of a job. Once there, however, the defendant convinced her to try on several provocative swimsuits, filming her as she changed into them, and repeatedly touched the victim’s breasts, buttocks and groin. The defendant also tricked her into signing a contract that, he claimed, obligated her to have sex with him. When the victim asked to be let out of the contract, the defendant threatened to sue her and her family for breach of contract. The defendant then told the victim that he would be willing to change the contract if she had sex with him. The defendant then had sex with the victim and warned her not to tell anyone about the sex because of an alleged confidentiality agreement in the contract.

When sentenced by United States District Judge Allyne R. Ross, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment and a maximum term of life imprisonment on each of the four counts of the indictment.