Omar Kashaka Taylor, Sex Trafficking, Minnesota 2018

A Minneapolis man has been found guilty of sex trafficking two victims, including a minor, in a shocking case of exploitation and coercion.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Minnesota, Omar Kashaka Taylor, also known as 'Shaka,' operated an illegal massage business out of his residence, recruiting young women and girls to work in his illicit enterprise.

Between August 2017 and March 2018, Taylor used Backpage.com to solicit clients and made his victims perform commercial sex acts in exchange for money.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Manda Sertich praised the work of investigators and prosecutors in obtaining justice for the victims, stating, 'Sex trafficking is an abhorrent crime that will not be tolerated in our communities.'

Taylor, a registered sex offender, was found guilty on all counts, including sex trafficking of a minor, sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, and commission of a felony offense involving a minor when required to register as a sex offender.

He is currently facing a lengthy prison sentence for his crimes, which are a stark reminder of the need for continued vigilance in the fight against human trafficking.

The case is the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Minnesota Human Trafficking Investigators Task Force, and the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office.

Assistant United States Attorneys Manda M. Sertich and Michelle E. Jones are prosecuting the case.

Defendant Information:

OMAR KASHAKA TAYLOR, a/k/a 'Shaka,' 44
Minneapolis, Minn.
Convicted:
Sex trafficking of a minor, 1 count
Sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, 2 counts
Commission of a felony offense involving a minor when required to register as a sex offender, 1 count

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/owner-illegal-massage-parlor-found-guilty-sex-trafficking