NJ Pastor and ‘Prophet’ Indicted on Sex Trafficking and Forced Labor Charges

Treva Edwards and his wife allegedly recruited victims with personal struggles.

A self-proclaimed prophet and pastor from New Jersey has been indicted by a federal grand jury on counts of sex trafficking and conspiracy to commit forced labor.

New Jersey courtroom, Photo by Carol M. Highsmith, Wikimedia Commons

Treva Edwards, 61, and his wife Christine, 64, were both included in the indictment.

According to the Department of Justice, Edwards and his wife were pastors of  a church they named “Jesus is Lord by the Holy Ghost” and operated out of an apartment building.

Between 2010 and 2025, they are alleged to have identified and recruited victims who were facing personal struggles to join the church worship services. As a self-proclaimed prophet, Treva Edwards would allegedly tell the congregation he could communicate with God directly and that disobeying Edwards would result in spiritual retribution and financial, physical, and emotional harm.

The forced labor allegations stemmed from Edwards securing labor contracts around the city for manual labor projects, such as gutting properties, shoveling snow, removing trash, cleaning up sewage, and exterminating rodent infestations. The DOJ claims the Edwardses did not pay victims for this labor, but instead kept the payments for themselves.

Edwards allegedly coerced victims into performing the labor by telling them the tasks were commissioned by God and they would “lose favor” if they did not do them. The DOJ alleges that he spread fear through vulnerable congregants by threatening reputational harm, homelessness, and hunger.

Allegedly, the Edwardses also created and enforced strict rules for the laborers about their sleep and their communications — including with “non-members,” who were said to be “possessed by the devil.” Victims were often deprived of sleep and only fed once a day after their labor was complete, the DOJ described.

Treva Edwards allegedly repeatedly sexually assaulted two of the victims, impregnating one and forcing her to have an abortion. He allegedly told the other that having sex with him was “God’s will” and would prevent her from becoming mentally ill.

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If convicted of the sex trafficking charges, Treva Edwards could face between 15 years and life in prison. The forced labor charges carry a sentence of 20 years in prison.

“The Department of Justice will not tolerate the exploitation of vulnerable individuals under the guise of faith or community,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division said in a press release. “This Civil Rights Division is committed to holding accountable those who abuse positions of trust to manipulate and control others for personal gain. These charges reflect our unwavering focus on protecting victims and prosecuting those who commit forced labor and sex trafficking.”

Another self-proclaimed prophet, David E. Taylor, along with two other church leaders from Kingdom of God Global Church, is also facing a federal indictment for forced labor and money laundering.

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