New York Man Convicted for Attempting to Lure and Sexually Assault Minor

TRENTON – Acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and the Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) announced today that a New York man was convicted of trying to lure and sexually assault a minor.

Shaheen Lariff, 56, of New City, New York, was found guilty by a jury on all three counts in the indictment against him – second-degree luring/enticing a child, second-degree attempted sexual assault, and third-degree endangering the welfare of a child. Lariff was convicted following a jury trial before Bergen County Superior Court Judge Christopher R. Kazlau.

“Protecting children from sexual predators always will be a top priority for my office,” said Acting Attorney General Davenport. “We will be unrelenting in identifying, prosecuting, and removing those who target children in our communities. The defendant here believed he was talking to a teenager and continued to try and set up an encounter to engage in sexual assault. Though he thought he was talking to a teenager, he was in fact talking to an undercover law enforcement officer. We are grateful to our law enforcement partners for using all available tools to keep our children safe.”

“This case shows the dangers that our children face from online predators every day,” said DCJ Director Theresa L. Hilton. “The excellent work by our prosecutors and law enforcement partners let us intercept this criminal before he could victimize a child.”

“This conviction exposes the serious dangers posed by individuals who use the internet to lure and sexually assault children,” said Lt. Colonel David Sierotowicz, Acting Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “We will continue to aggressively investigate these crimes, pursue those responsible, and take decisive action to protect our most vulnerable and keep our communities safe”

According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial, during the investigation, Lariff contacted an individual on a dating application whom he believed to be a 15-year-old male. Lariff identified himself as a 31-year-old male and continued communications, including discussion of sex acts, despite the individual’s age. Lariff subsequently traveled to a predetermined location to meet the individual, where he was arrested by law enforcement.

Acting Attorney General Davenport credited the NJSP and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office with the investigation of this case.

The case was prosecuted by DCJ Deputy Attorneys General John Donovan and Anton Kiryako and Management Assistant Ysan Chin.

Second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000.

Third-degree charges carry a sentence of three to five years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000.

Defense counsel:

Milagros Camacho, Esq., North Bergen, New Jersey

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