A 42-year-old Bronx man is facing federal charges accusing him of coercing and trafficking three minors, including a 12-year-old girl, over the course of nearly a year. Jimmy Rosario was named Wednesday in an indictment unsealed by federal prosecutors, who say he used his cellphone and social messaging platforms to entice the girls into sexual acts and, in one case, solicit a 17-year-old for commercial sex in exchange for money.
The indictment, unsealed by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, charges Rosario with two counts of coercion and enticement of a minor and one count of sex trafficking of a minor, involving victims aged 16, 12 and 17. Prosecutors allege that between July 2025 and June 2026, Rosario used his phone, the internet and social messaging apps to reach the girls before arranging in-person meetings. Federal prosecutors allege the physical encounters involved oral, vaginal and anal sex. Rosario remains in federal custody, and the case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken.
The US Attorney SDNY announced the charges on social media Wednesday, urging anyone who believes they were victimized by Rosario, or who has additional information about his alleged conduct, to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. As is standard in federal cases, Rosario has not been convicted, and the charges against him remain allegations that prosecutors must prove in court.
Steep Penalties Under Federal Law
Each of the three federal counts against Rosario carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life imprisonment, according to the same SDNY announcement. Under federal law, specifically 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b), using a cellphone, messaging app or any other facility of interstate commerce to entice or coerce a minor into illegal sexual activity is a federal felony, regardless of whether the suspect or victim ever crosses state lines, per the U.S. Department of Justice. That broad jurisdictional reach is why federal prosecutors, rather than local district attorneys, are handling a case rooted entirely in Bronx-based conduct.
The investigation was carried out by the joint FBI/NYPD Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Task Force, led locally by FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr., alongside U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald. Federal law enforcement agencies routinely issue public appeals like the one made for Rosario because investigations into minor coercion and trafficking frequently surface additional, previously unidentified victims once an indictment becomes public.
Part of a Pattern of Bronx Cases
Rosario's case is the latest in a string of federal and local sex trafficking prosecutions tied to Bronx residents over the past year. In July, federal prosecutors unsealed a six-count indictment against 33-year-old Sean Chisolm, accusing him of enticing a teenager to travel to the Bronx for commercial sex. In June, 45-year-old Hadrian Crichlow was sentenced in Brooklyn federal court to 17.5 years in prison for trafficking a 15-year-old runaway across New York City hotel rooms through online advertising, after pleading guilty in December.
Earlier this year, in February, 31-year-old Rai Thomas was sentenced in Manhattan federal court to 160 months in prison after being convicted at trial of sex trafficking a minor who lived in a children's group home, moving her across hotel rooms in the Bronx and Brooklyn in early 2022. Those cases, taken together, point to sustained federal enforcement attention on the borough even as questions persist about the systems meant to catch at-risk youth before they are exploited.
Audit Finds City Still Falling Short on Safeguards
The Rosario indictment lands amid renewed scrutiny of New York City's child welfare system. An August audit by the Office of the New York State Comptroller found that city agencies, including the Administration for Children's Services, still show critical gaps in tracking and protecting youth at risk of sex trafficking, having failed to fully implement four of nine safety recommendations issued back in 2022. State auditors reported that child-welfare agencies struggled to verify required screening protocols and document essential support services for vulnerable minors.
Key questions remain unresolved as the case moves forward, including whether additional victims come forward through the FBI's tip line and which specific messaging platforms Rosario allegedly used to reach the girls. It is also not yet publicly known when Rosario will next appear before Judge Oetken. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
-4.webp?w=160&h=400&fit=crop&crop=edges)