A New York-based Iranian national has pleaded guilty in federal court in Brooklyn to charges of alien smuggling and intentionally receiving child sexual abuse material, according to US prosecutors.The defendant was identified as Sharon Gohari. They are a naturalised US citizen who lived between Iran and Nassau County, New York.Authorities said Gohari operated a long-running scheme from at least December 2020 until May 2025, in which he solicited and received payments from Iranian nationals and others seeking to enter US unlawfully. He arranged and facilitated their travel, including assisting with visa applications through the Mexican embassy in Iran and organising journeys through Mexico and other transit countries into the US.Gohari worked with associates in Iran and elsewhere and charged thousands of dollars per client. At least one individual he assisted was alleged to have ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which the US Department of State designates as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. That individual was later detained by US border authorities.During the investigation, federal agents also discovered child sexual abuse material on Gohari’s phone, including multiple videos depicting the rape of children. Some of the material involved children as young as five years old.Investigators found hundreds of images and videos on his devices showing women in public places in New York City, including on trains and in cafes, which were recorded without their knowledge. Some images were taken at close range or in a manner suggesting the victims were being followed. Gohari shared some of this material with overseas accounts, including accounts based in Iran.In communications following receipt of child sexual abuse material, Gohari expressed an intention to seek sexual partners in a high school.The case involved both immigration-related offences and child exploitation offences. Alien smuggling charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of three years in prison and a maximum of 10 years, while the child sexual abuse material charge carries a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years. Sentencing is set to take place at a later date.
