Omar Kashaka Taylor, Sex Trafficking of Minors, MN 2019

Omar Kashaka Taylor, a 46-year-old Minneapolis man and registered sex offender, was sentenced to 400 months in federal prison for sex trafficking two victims—one of them a minor—from his northeast Minneapolis residence. Taylor, also known as “Shaka,” was convicted on all counts by a federal jury on February 5, 2019, and sentenced today by Senior Judge Donovan W. Frank in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Taylor operated an illegal massage business out of his home between August 2017 and March 2018, using it as a front to exploit vulnerable women and girls. He specifically targeted Native American and First Nation women, recruiting them under false pretenses before using force, threats, fraud, and coercion to compel them into commercial sex acts for his financial gain. Advertisements were posted on Backpage.com featuring photos of the victims, falsely marketed as massage services that covertly offered sex acts.

“Omar Taylor is a coercive sex trafficker who pursued and exploited vulnerable victims for his own financial profit,” said United States Attorney Erica MacDonald. “The 400-month sentence handed down today is appropriate in light of the trauma Mr. Taylor inflicted upon his victims.” The sentence includes 25 years of supervised release following his prison term.

Tracy J. Cormier, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) St. Paul, stated, “Today’s sentencing will hopefully close a painful chapter in the lives of the survivors of Mr. Taylor’s heinous actions. We’re confident that this significant sentencing will empower others, who are facing similar circumstances, to come forward, knowing that they will be fully supported and that their captors will face justice.”

The investigation was conducted by a multi-agency task force including Homeland Security Investigations, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Minnesota Human Trafficking Investigators Task Force, and the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Manda M. Sertich and Michelle E. Jones.

Taylor was convicted of one count of sex trafficking of a minor, two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, and one count of committing a felony involving a minor while required to register as a sex offender. Authorities emphasize that his status as a registered sex offender made his crimes even more egregious and underscores the predatory pattern of behavior he maintained for profit and control.