Feds Nab Manhattan Foot‑Fetish Site Boss on Sex‑Trafficking Rap

A New York man who allegedly turned a foot-fetish website into a front for hotel-room assaults has been hit with federal sex-trafficking charges in Manhattan, prosecutors say. Jason Khan, 47, is accused in a three-count federal indictment unsealed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, which alleges he used supposed foot-modeling gigs to lure women to hotel “interviews” that turned into sexual attacks.

Indictment and Allegations

According to Daily Voice, Khan was arrested on Monday, June 8 and charged in a three-count indictment that says he operated FootPadNYC.com from at least 2019 through 2021. Prosecutors say the site pitched work for women as foot models and promised they could “get paid to have your feet worshipped,” then set up meetings in Manhattan hotel rooms that allegedly turned into sexual assaults.

The indictment alleges that on a minimum of three occasions, women who answered the ads and showed up seeking modeling work were instead sexually assaulted. Prosecutors say two of the women later underwent forensic medical examinations.

Southern District Context

The case is being prosecuted in Manhattan federal court, where authorities have recently brought a string of high-profile sex-trafficking cases. As the U.S. Attorney’s Office has noted in discussing another trafficking conviction, the Southern District has made a point of pursuing coordinated cases against people who use money, status or online advertising to exploit victims for sex; that statement appears on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website.

What the Charges Mean

The counts in the indictment charge violations of federal sex-trafficking statutes. Under federal law, including 18 U.S.C. § 1591, sex trafficking “by force, fraud, or coercion” carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a potential maximum of life if prosecutors prove their case at trial, according to Cornell Law School.

Federal authorities are asking anyone who believes they may be a victim of Khan or who has information about the case to contact the FBI at 212-384-2700 or email [email protected], according to Daily Voice. Investigators say they are still gathering evidence as the prosecution moves ahead.

Khan is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. Prosecutors in the Southern District of New York and federal investigators say the case remains an active investigation.