A Dorchester man and a Plymouth woman have been indicted in connection with running a human trafficking and prostitution operation in Greater Boston.
A Suffolk County grand jury on Thursday handed up indictments against Crystal Emerson, 29, and Michael Leoney, 49.
“We allege (Leoney), with assistance from (Emerson), exploited multiple women by transporting them to engage in commercial sex and arranging for their advertisements online, and then kept the profits from this operation,” state Attorney General Martha Coakley said in a statement released Thursday. “This investigation is part of our continuing effort to target human traffickers who exploit others for their own profit.”
Leoney is charged with trafficking of persons for sexual servitude, conspiracy and deriving support from prostitution. Emerson is charged with one count of conspiracy to traffic persons for sexual servitude.
The AG’s Office began an investigation last year after the matter was referred by the Boston Police Department Human Trafficking Unit. Prosecutors said the joint investigation determined that Leoney allegedly ran the operation, coordinated the recruitment of women into prostitution, and managed the financial aspects of the organization. Leoney allegedly advertised sexual services on websites known to advertise prostitution and arranged for these encounters either at the homes of “johns” or at Greater Boston hotels, prosecutors said. According to investigators, Leoney usually received all profits from the sexual encounters.
Investigators said Emerson helped with the daily operations, including training the women recruited by Leoney, buying the ads to promote sexual services, and setting up hotel reservations for sexual encounters.
Last December, State Police assigned to the AG’s Office and Boston police officers executed search warrants at Leoney’s home and on cars registered to him. Leoney and Emerson are due to be arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court at a later date.
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