Seattle – A 23-year-old Seattle man, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to ten years in prison for attempted sex trafficking of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Issac Shorack was arrested at Sea-Tac Airport in February 2022 as he drove to the arrivals area to pick up a person he believed to be a 17-year-old minor. In fact, Shorack had been communicating with an undercover agent about traveling to Seattle to work as a prostitute. Shorack first came to the attention of law enforcement in November 2021, with a tip to a National Human Trafficking hotline alleging he was trafficking juveniles. At today’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Tana Lin said Shorack preyed on “Young, confused, and impressionable girls…. You were looking for young vulnerable girls, and when they were afraid, you threatened them with violence.”
“Mr. Shorack used threats and violence to control vulnerable juveniles who he sold for sex on Aurora Avenue,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “He made hundreds of thousands of dollars by exploiting and endangering young women and used the money to fund his lavish lifestyle.”
According to records in the case, the investigation began with a call to the National Human Trafficking Hotline in November 2021. The caller reported information about minors who were being trafficked in the Seattle area – in the location known as “the track” or “the blade” on Aurora Avenue North. The FBI began an investigation and was able to trace some of the activities of Shorack and the minors he controlled for sex trafficking. Forensic examination of electronic devices revealed text messages showing Shorack in control of the minors’ activities including pricing, what sex acts they should engage in with sex buyers, the use of condoms and information about whether they were earning enough money for him. Investigators analyzed Shorack’s texts to the minors about how much money they were making and saw that they correlated with cash deposits made into his bank accounts. In his text messages, Shorack also bragged about physically assaulting another victim and threatened physical violence if the victims did not follow his orders. Shorack also admitted that he knew at least three of his victims were minors.
The FBI used an experienced undercover agent based out of state to reach out to Shorack posing as a 17-year-old minor. Shorack communicated with the “minor” via phone and text messages and attempted to entice her to travel to Seattle and work for him as a prostitute. Shorack had some of the minors under his control reach out to the undercover officer as well to try to recruit her to work for him. Shorack used various questions to try to determine whether the undercover was law enforcement. Ultimately, Shorack purchased a ticket for the “minor” to fly to Seattle and told her he would pick her up outside baggage claim. Instead, Shorack was arrested by Port of Seattle Police.
“It is deplorable that Mr. Shorack not only recruited minors from across the country, but he also demonstrated zero concern for his victims’ well-being,” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field Office. “The work the FBI and our law enforcement partners are doing to combat modern-day slavery is critical in ending this dehumanizing crime.”
An analysis of Shorack’s bank accounts revealed he deposited more than $360,000 in prostitution proceeds. Today Judge Lin ordered Shorack to pay $50,000 in restitution to each of his three minor victims for a total of $150,000.
In asking for a 12-year-sentece with ten years of community supervision to follow, Assistant United States Attorney Kate Crisham wrote to the court, Shorack “is a predatory person who was willing to recruit and live off the prostitution profits of vulnerable juveniles and young women. By virtue of engaging in this conduct, he poses a very real danger to the community and has the potential to continue to sexually exploit women upon his release.”
Shorack will be on ten years of supervised release following prison, and will be required to register as a sex offender.
The National Human Trafficking Hotline is 1-888-373-7888
The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Seattle Police Department and the Port of Seattle Police.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kate Crisham. Ms. Crisham is the Anti-Human Trafficking Coordinator for the Western District of Washington.