The defendant was identified as Sharon Gohari. He is a naturalized American citizen who lived between Iran and Nassau County, New York.Authorities said Gohari operated a long-running scheme from at least December 2020 to May 2025, in which he received payments from Iranian citizens and others seeking to enter the U.S. illegally. He arranged and facilitated their travel, including assisting with visa applications through the Mexican Embassy in Iran and organizing travel into the US through Mexico and other transit countries.Gohari worked with associates in Iran and elsewhere and charged thousands of dollars per client. At least one person he assisted was accused of having ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which the US State Department designates as a foreign terrorist organization. The man was later detained by US border officials.During the investigation, federal agents also found child sexual abuse material on Gohary’s phone, including several videos depicting the rape of children. Some of the material included children as young as five years of age.Investigators found hundreds of images and videos on his devices, showing women in public places, including trains and cafes in New York City, which were recorded without his knowledge. Some photographs were taken at very close range or were taken in such a way that the victims were being stalked. Gohari shared some of this content with foreign accounts, including those based in Iran.In communications following receipt of the child sexual abuse material, Gohari expressed his intention to find a sexual partner in a high school.This case involved both immigration-related crimes and child exploitation crimes. The alien trafficking charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of three years in prison and a maximum of 10 years, while the child sexual exploitation material charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 20 years. A verdict on sentencing will be announced at a later date.