Reysean Williams, Sex Trafficking of a Minor, RI 2023

Reysean Williams, 28, a former group home supervisor contracted by DCYF, was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison for repeatedly sex trafficking a 17-year-old girl across Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Long Island, New York. The sentencing, announced by U.S. Attorney Aaron L. Weisman, HSI Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh, and Cranston Police Chief Colonel Michael J. Winquist, marks the end of a grim chapter in a case rooted in betrayal of trust and systemic exploitation.

Court documents reveal Williams, with help from Leonardo Gomes, 20, of Pawtucket, used Backpage.com to post ads featuring the minor, arranging paid sexual encounters while pocketing every dollar she earned. The operation spanned from March to April 2017, during which the teen—reported missing—was driven to hotels and apartments in the Providence metro area, Boston’s North Shore, and even Long Island. Williams paid for rooms in cash and used a group home van to coordinate pickups and collect proceeds.

The unraveling began when Homeland Security Investigations agents and Cranston Police detectives traced a phone number in the ads to set up a controlled encounter. When the 17-year-old and a female companion arrived at a staged apartment, they were taken into custody. Gomes was found parked across the street and arrested on the spot. Williams evaded capture for about a week before being apprehended and charged.

Investigators learned the victim met Williams through his role as a supervisor at a Pawtucket residential group home. After Gomes exited DCYF custody, Williams recruited him into the trafficking ring. The teen told authorities she performed up to 10 “plays” a day—sex acts for money—under their direction. Gomes typically drove her to the encounters in a vehicle supplied by Williams, ensuring a steady stream of illicit profits that never reached the victim.

On November 30, 2018, Williams pleaded guilty to sex trafficking a child. He was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Gomes, who pleaded guilty the same day to traveling in interstate commerce with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, was sentenced on March 15, 2019, to 36 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Terrence P. Donnelly and John P. McAdams. Authorities emphasized the exploitation was only uncovered due to digital surveillance of Backpage.com, once a notorious hub for traffickers. The case exposes deep vulnerabilities in state-contracted care systems and the predatory use of online platforms to exploit vulnerable youth.