NY Man Convicted in Bergen for Attempted Luring and Sexual Assault of Minor

Jury finds defendant guilty on all counts after undercover investigation intercepted attempted meeting with a perceived teenager.

A New York man has been convicted in Bergen County Superior Court for attempting to lure and sexually assault a minor, following an undercover law enforcement operation, New Jersey officials announced.

Acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice said Shaheen Lariff, 56, of New City, New York, was found guilty by a jury on all three counts of a criminal indictment. The convictions include second-degree luring or enticing a child, second-degree attempted sexual assault, and third-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

Lariff was convicted following a jury trial before Bergen County Superior Court Judge Christopher R. Kazlau.

According to court filings and evidence presented at trial, Lariff contacted an individual on a dating application whom he believed to be a 15-year-old male. Despite the purported age of the individual, Lariff allegedly continued communications that included discussions of sexual acts. Authorities said Lariff identified himself as a 31-year-old male during those exchanges. He later traveled to a predetermined meeting location, where he was arrested by law enforcement. Investigators confirmed the individual Lariff believed to be a teenager was, in fact, an undercover law enforcement officer.

“Protecting children from sexual predators always will be a top priority for my office,” Davenport said. “We will be unrelenting in identifying, prosecuting, and removing those who target children in our communities. The defendant here believed he was talking to a teenager and continued to try and set up an encounter to engage in sexual assault. Though he thought he was talking to a teenager, he was in fact talking to an undercover law enforcement officer. We are grateful to our law enforcement partners for using all available tools to keep our children safe.”

Division of Criminal Justice Director Theresa L. Hilton said the case highlights the risks posed by online predators. “This case shows the dangers that our children face from online predators every day,” Hilton said. “The excellent work by our prosecutors and law enforcement partners let us intercept this criminal before he could victimize a child.”

New Jersey State Police Acting Superintendent Lt. Colonel David Sierotowicz also emphasized the broader public safety implications. “This conviction exposes the serious dangers posed by individuals who use the internet to lure and sexually assault children,” he said. “We will continue to aggressively investigate these crimes, pursue those responsible, and take decisive action to protect our most vulnerable and keep our communities safe.”

Davenport credited the New Jersey State Police and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office with investigating the case. The prosecution was handled by DCJ Deputy Attorneys General John Donovan and Anton Kiryako, with assistance from Management Assistant Ysan Chin.

Under New Jersey law, second-degree offenses carry a potential sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and fines of up to $150,000. Third-degree offenses are punishable by three to five years in prison and fines of up to $15,000. Sentencing in the case has not yet been announced.