Lynn man charged after allegedly sex trafficking 3 women amid COVID pandemic – Boston.com

A Lynn man has been arrested and charged for allegedly sex trafficking three women who did not have jobs and were struggling with homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic, officials announced Monday.

Anthony Coleman, 34, is charged with three counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion and one count of transporting a person for purposes of prostitution, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Massachusetts said in a press release.

Coleman allegedly had his victims move into a house in Lawrence, specifically targeting people who had lost their jobs or homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the indictment. Coleman reportedly posted commercial sex advertisements for his victims, provided them scripts to negotiate payment with buyers, and drove his victims to where they would engage in commercial sex, according to the press release.

Every victim was allegedly forced to give all their earnings to Coleman and regularly have sex with him, the U.S. Attorneys office said.

In March 2020, Coleman reportedly recruited a woman who had lost her job due to the pandemic. The woman would sometimes serve up to 10-16 clients a day, and Coleman would allegedly drive her to Florida to serve clients, according to prosecutors.

Coleman also allegedly physically abused this victim, including by holding her underwater, requiring her to walk outside naked on broken glass, and throwing her against the wall, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Coleman is said to have recruited a second victim in March or April 2020 after she had been kicked out of her home due to disagreements about COVID-19 protocols, officials said. She also allegedly engaged in commercial sex for Coleman and was threatened when she wanted to leave.

The third victim was recruited while homeless in the summer of 2020, officials said. When she did something Coleman did not like or refused to engage in commercial sex, Coleman would reportedly physically and verbally assault her, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

The indictment alleges that Mr. Coleman chose to prey on women who were struggling with employment and housing when the Covid-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, said Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy in a statement. He allegedly forced these women to sell their bodies, took their money, and violently assaulted them to make sure they obeyed his commands.

If convicted, Coleman faces a minimum of 15 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 for the sex trafficking charges. He faces up to 10 years in prison for the charge of transporting an individual for the purposes of prostitution.

Coleman was arrested on March 29 and appeared in federal court in Boston on Monday, officials said.

Anyone who believes they may be a victim of this alleged crime is asked to contactUSAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.

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Lynn man charged after allegedly sex trafficking 3 women amid COVID pandemic - Boston.com