Hudson County Man Charged With Online Enticement of a Minor

Jersey City, NJ — A Jersey City man has been charged with enticing a minor to engage in criminal sexual conduct, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced on Thursday.

Ryan Niksa, 34, of Jersey City, faces a federal complaint of online enticement of a minor. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre on January 29 in Newark federal court and was ordered detained.

According to court documents and testimony, Niksa allegedly began communicating with a minor from another state via social media and text messages in August 2024. Authorities say the conversations involved the exchange of sexually explicit content. Niksa is also accused of expressing intentions to live with the minor, travel to the minor’s state, and flee with the victim to another country to avoid law enforcement.

The charge of enticing a minor carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 10 years, with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.

The charges remain allegations, and Niksa is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.