BOSTON – A Milton man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to federal sex trafficking charges.
Duhamel Cassagnol, 30, pleaded guilty to sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; engaging in a conspiracy to commit sex trafficking; and transporting an individual for prostitution.
U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for Dec.18, 2018.
On Dec. 8, 2017, Cassagnol was arrested along with Geneiva Whaley, 23, of Connecticut. In May 2018, Whaley pleaded guilty to one count of transportation of an individual for prostitution and is scheduled for sentencing on Oct. 4, 2018.
Between approximately July 2014 and February 2016, Cassagnol worked with Whaley to prostitute several victims. Cassagnol and Whaley advertised the victims using online ad-posting sites, including Backpage.com, and housed the victims in hotel rooms reserved in Whaley’s name in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York and Florida.
The victims being prostituted were addicted to drugs, usually heroin. To keep their victims compliant, Cassagnol and Whaley provided them with drugs in exchange for the income the women earned through prostitution. The victims were only entitled to drugs if they generated income. In some instances, Cassagnol was violent and threatened several of the victims. The violence included beating the victims and, during one instance, forcing a victim to use drugs against her will.
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Category: Sex Crimes|Human Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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