Crime
Court records show investigators took the men into custody after creating a fake online escort ad purporting to offer access to a 14-year-old girl.
Seven Massachusetts men have been arrested and charged following a child exploitation operation conducted by the FBI’s Boston division, federal authorities announced Tuesday.
Kenneth M. Berry, 45, of Middleborough; Manjil Bhusal, 21, of Somerville; Jonathan Matthew William Durocher, 34, of Brockton; Trevon Hubbard, 31, of Middleborough; Krish R. Patel, 26, of Quincy; and Gerald Sabatinelli, 71, of Hyannis were arrested between June 12 and June 16 as part of an operation targeting human trafficking and child sexual exploitation before, during, and after World Cup matches, the FBI Boston said in a press release.
The men are charged with sex for a fee with a child under 18, enticement of a child under 16, and attempted rape of a child, FBI Boston said.
Investigators created a fictitious online escort advertisement purporting to offer access to a 14-year-old girl, investigators wrote in a statement of facts filed in court.
Authorities allege Aguilar, Berry, Bhusal, Hubbard, Patel, and Sabatinelli contacted the advertisement and were informed the purported escort was 14 years old. Despite that information, the men agreed to proceed with a meeting and later arrived at a predetermined location, where they were taken into custody, investigators wrote.
Details regarding Durocher’s alleged interactions with minors were not immediately available as a statement of facts had not been filed in court Tuesday night.
All seven men were arraigned in Brockton District Court and pleaded not guilty, court records show.
Aguilar, Berry, Bhusal, Hubbard, and Patel were released on a $1,000 bail and ordered to have no contact with anyone younger than 18. Sabatinell remained held at the Plymouth County House of Correction after failing to post $1,000 bail, court filings show.
Durocher was ordered to stay away from children under 16. Online court records did not list his bail conditions.
All seven men are scheduled to return to court in late July or early August.
Patrick Noonan, an attorney representing Patel and Durocher, told Boston.com that he had no comment on the case as of Tuesday night.
Attorneys representing Bhusal, Hubbard, and Sabatinelli did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday night. Attorneys for Aguilar and Berry could not be reached.
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