CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A North Carolina man was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday for operating a sex trafficking enterprise that recruited women and teens into prostitution.
Shahid Muslim, 33, was found guilty of sex trafficking, kidnapping, production of child pornography,witness tampering, and promoting a prostitution business enterprise.
Evidence revealed that Muslim’s sex trafficking enterprise operated in Charlotte, North Carolina, and other cities from at least 2010 until his arrest in 2013. Muslim allegedly recruited vulnerable young women and girls from the Charlotte area and advertised them for prostitution on the internet.
According to officials, once the women and girls were a part of his enterprise, Muslim demanded all of their proceeds and used brutal violence to control them. As one witness explained, he never hit the victims in the face because it would damage his “merchandise.”
“Shahid Muslim is a ruthless predator who used lies to lure vulnerable young women and underage girls into his criminal enterprise,” said U.S. Attorney Rose. “But instead of finding the better life his young victims had been promised, they endured unspeakable violence and exploitation in the hands of Muslim for his financial gain. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute those who engage in this illegal business that dehumanizes victims and strips them of their dignity.”
