Jason Khan promised women easy money as foot models. Instead, prosecutors allege he trapped them in Manhattan hotel rooms and raped them.
Background
Khan operated FootPadNYC.com from 2019 to 2021, posting online ads that recruited aspiring foot models with promises of payment for having their feet "worshiped." Federal investigators say the lucrative job offers were a trap. Khan allegedly scheduled interviews with applicants and used those meetings to assault them.
"On at least three occasions, Khan deployed this playbook: Scheduling interviews with women who were seeking professional opportunities as foot models and using the promise of this additional income to lure them to Manhattan hotel rooms," federal prosecutors said. "Once in the hotel room, Khan raped or sexually assaulted the women."
This wasn't his first time. Years earlier, police say Khan lured a blind woman to the Days Hotel on Manhattan's Upper West Side and allegedly sexually assaulted her after giving her what officers described as "a green gummy" that left her woozy. That case was later sealed.
The Charges
Khan now faces federal sex trafficking charges in addition to his existing 2019 arrest record. A three-count indictment unsealed Tuesday charges him with sex trafficking by force, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York confirmed.
"As alleged, Jason Khan lured his victims in under the lucrative promise of being a foot model before he repeatedly and violently sexually assaulted and raped them," said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton in a statement. "We commend the victims for their courage in coming forward."
The joint investigation involved prosecutors, FBI agents, and NYPD detectives working together to build the case against Khan, who splits his time between Albany and Manhattan.
"This horrific behavior has no place in our city, and we will not allow predators to prey on vulnerable women," NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. "The NYPD will always protect survivors of sexual assault."
Key Takeaways
- Jason Khan, 47, operated FootPadNYC.com from 2019 to 2021
- He allegedly lured aspiring foot models with promises of lucrative work before sexually assaulting them in Manhattan hotel rooms
- At least three victims have come forward in connection with the recent federal case
- Khan also had a prior 2019 arrest for allegedly assaulting a blind woman at a Manhattan hotel
- If convicted on all counts, he faces a minimum of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum of life imprisonment
What's Next
Prosecutors say their investigation is ongoing and are urging any additional victims to come forward. "We urge anyone else who has been a victim of Khan or knows anything about his alleged crimes to do the same," Clayton said. Khan is expected to face federal court proceedings in Manhattan as the case moves forward.