TRENTON, N.J. – In response to New Jersey’s recognition of Human Trafficking Prevention Month, a disturbing sex trafficking case in Burlington County highlights the pervasive and dangerous nature of these criminal activities.
In mid-January, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Division of Criminal Justice announced that a suspect had been indicted by a state grand jury for operating a human trafficking network in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The case centers around Nieem Johnson, 40, who allegedly ran a sex trafficking enterprise until one of the victims, a teenage girl, managed to escape from a hotel in Burlington County where she had been held captive and forced into sex trafficking.
The investigation, led by detectives from the New Jersey State Police (NJSP) Missing Persons and Human Trafficking Unit, NJSP Special Investigations Unit, and DCJ, began after a report of human trafficking in Bordentown Township. Police discovered a 15-year-old victim who had allegedly run away from a hotel room to escape from Johnson. The investigation revealed that Johnson had transported the victim against her will to the hotel to engage in commercial sex acts.
During Johnson’s arrest on August 31st, law enforcement identified another female victim who had allegedly been forced to engage in commercial sex acts for several months. The investigation also uncovered allegations of threats, physical violence, and coercion by Johnson to keep the victims in the sex trade for his own financial gain.
Despite the common misconception that sex trafficking only occurs in urban and impoverished areas, this case serves as a stark reminder that such crimes can happen anywhere and be advertised similarly. Attorney General Platkin emphasized the severity of the allegations and vowed to prosecute the defendants to the fullest extent of the law, acknowledging the horrific exploitation and abuse endured by the survivors.
Johnson has been charged with numerous first-degree and second-degree criminal charges, with the alleged crimes taking place between February 28, 2023, and when he was taken into custody. He is currently being held in the Atlantic County Correctional Facility, while his co-defendant, Thomas Fulcher, was charged with sexual assault and engaging in prostitution with a minor.
The investigation, guided by NJSP Detective Michael Fama, is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Elizabeth Vogelsong-Parvin from the Human Trafficking Unit of the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. As January brings awareness to human trafficking, it is essential to recognize that combating and addressing this issue requires ongoing resources, attention, and enforcement throughout the year.