SACRAMENTO, Calif. - An Elk Grove man was arrested today on charges of sex trafficking of a child, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
On June 8, 2017, a federal grand jury in Sacramento returned a sealed indictment against Abdul Basier Hashimi, 25, charging him with one count of sex trafficking of children. The indictment was unsealed today after Hashimi’s arrest.
According to court documents, between August 2014 and November 2014, Hashimi recruited, harbored, transported, and advertised a minor victim, knowing that the minor would be caused to engage in prostitution.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Sacramento Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian A. Fogerty is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Hashimi faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison, and up to a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources" tab for information about internet safety education.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
