Jason Khan, the owner of foot fetish website FootPadNYC.com, has been charged with sex trafficking after allegedly luring women to hotel rooms under the guise of modeling jobs, then raping or sexually assaulting them, federal prosecutors announced Monday.
According to the indictment, Khan used his niche online platform to recruit aspiring foot models for interviews in hotel rooms. Once there, the women were allegedly forced into non-consensual sexual acts. None of the victims consented, and two underwent rape kit examinations, authorities said.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York detailed three specific incidents in which Khan assaulted victims. In two cases, he allegedly penetrated the victims vaginally; in the third, he forcibly placed the woman's feet on his penis.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch condemned the actions in a statement: "This horrific behavior has no place in our city, and we will not allow predators to prey on vulnerable women."
Khan was arrested Monday on three counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion. Each count carries a sentence of 15 years to life in prison if convicted.