Fall River residents accused of running sex trafficking ring across two states

Lina Portman3 days ago

0 5 minutes read

BOSTON — Six people, including three Fall River residents, are facing federal charges for allegedly operating a sex trafficking ring involving local underage teenagers.

One of the network's alleged leaders ran the illegal organization from a South Carolina prison where he was being held on attempted murder charges in 2023.

A federal grand jury indicted Thursday: Christy Parker, 26, of Fall River; and her boyfriend, Alexander Smalls, 25, of Beaufort County, South Carolina; Cory Primo, 42, of Fall River; Avvani Jeffers, 22, of Fall River; Tre'sean Reid, 21, of Beaufort County, South Carolina; and Tyreik Reid, 20, of Allendale, South Carolina

Tre'sean Reid and Tyreik Reid are Smalls' brothers, who, along with Parker, ran the alleged trafficking ring.

The six defendants are charged with sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, sex trafficking of a minor and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, according to the U.S. Justice Department.

One of the underage victims was allegedly forced to have sex with more than 100 men, according to court documents. Another underage victim was allegedly forced to have sex with five to six “clients” per day and earn $5,000 per night, according to court documents.

Federal prosecutors say the victims were forced into prostitution physically and verbally, including by threats to shoot one of the victims' father.

Parker, Smalls and Primo are being held on state charges and are expected to appear in federal court later, according to a news release, and Jeffers was arrested Thursday and was scheduled to appear in federal court yesterday.

Where the sex trafficking ring operated in southeastern Massachusetts

At least three of the sex trafficking victims, two minors and an adult woman, were forced to have sex with men in Fall River, Somerset, Boston, Rhode Island and South Carolina.

One of the locations was the Obrbitz Inn hotel at 637 Riverside Ave. in Somerset, where much of the illegal sexual activity allegedly took place in Room 119 on several occasions during the summer of 2023 and when Parker was arrested.

The Orbitz Inn management, after a request for comment, said it would report a reporter's phone number to the police.

“There’s no sex trafficking here,” said one woman who did not want to be identified.

Disturbing statement from a Homeland Security special agent

The federal court documents include a 21-page affidavit written by Homeland Security Special Agent Dale Crispin, who is assigned to the New England Human Trafficking Task Force.

Crispin describes a series of horrific events for the alleged victims that began in late 2022 and early 2023 when Parker and Smalls coerced an adult friend of Parker's into working in the illegal sex trade.

According to Crispin, the alleged victim allowed Parker to move in with her in Fall River because she was homeless and that's when she convinced the woman to quit her job and engage in prostitution.

Parker and Smalls allegedly forced the woman to sign a “profit sharing contract,” demanding that the victim “remain loyal, humble and focused.”

Smalls was arrested in South Carolina in March 2023, leaving Parker responsible for the illegal operation. He is accused of sending a portion of the profits to Smalls while he was in custody at the South Jail.

As Smalls' time in prison progressed, the money Parker sent was intended to pay for lawyers and his release on bail, according to court documents.

Parker allegedly used violence and threats to force the woman to continue to demand sex in exchange for money, including threatening to call the Department of Children and Families to take her child away.

Parker allegedly brought the woman to South Carolina to continue sex trafficking, keeping all the money

It is further alleged that in the spring of 2023, Parker traveled with the victim to South Carolina, where she continued to sex traffic the victim and collect all of the profits.

Upon returning from South Carolina, Parker enlisted the help of Primo and Jeffers to traffic the victim to Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

During the sex trafficking enterprise carried out by police and federal law enforcement between January 2023 and August 2023, the Smalls brothers oversaw “retaliation and enforcement” against victims.

Coercing minor victims through violence

During his sex trafficking operation, Parker enlisted the help of an underage female to recruit additional potential victims.

In July 2023, Parker was introduced to an underage 16-year-old woman who allegedly forced the teenager to begin working in the sex trade.

Prosecutors say the victim was forced to have sex with more than 100 men and subjected to physical violence, drugs and alcohol, sleep deprivation and allegedly beatings at the time.

At one point, the teenager was deprived of food for 4-5 days and refused medical care when she suffered a miscarriage.

In August 2023, Parker allegedly began sexually trafficking a 17-year-old who had run away from a group home.

She was the victim who was allegedly forced to have sex with up to six men a night, with some of these sex acts taking place at the Somerset Motel.

The minor was not given any money and was threatened with violence if she refused to have sex with the male clients.

According to court documents, the girl contacted her group home social worker on Aug. 23, 2023, and told her she was being held against her will in Room 119 and forced to have sex with men.

The social worker called 911 and police from Somerset and Fall River went to the Orbitz Inn.

Police reportedly found several women and girls, including the two teenage victims named in the indictments.

Police investigators executed a search warrant on rooms 119 and 120 and seized surveillance videos.

“Orbit surveillance video [sic] “Investigators showed that Parker, Primo and Jeffers were entering and leaving hotel rooms while sex buyers were arriving for commercial sex appointments and then leaving,” Crispin wrote in his affidavit.

What is the punishment for sex trafficking

“The charges in this case are truly chilling. According to the indictment, a minor victim was forced to have sex for money with over 100 different men. This young girl is someone’s daughter, she’s someone’s granddaughter. It’s hard to imagine behavior more despicable than what’s described in these charges. Sex trafficking is not a remote problem – it’s happening right here in our neighborhoods and often goes unnoticed or unreported,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy.

The charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion provides for a sentence of at least 15 years and up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.

The charge of sex trafficking of a minor carries a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

The charge of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the statutes that govern sentencing in a criminal case.

Other law enforcement assistance was provided by the Somerset, Fall River and Seekonk police departments; Bristol County Prosecutor's Office; Massachusetts State Police; and the Beaufort County (SC) Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley-Cunniffe, Chief of the Civil Rights and Human Trafficking Unit and Attorney Francisco Zornosa of the Civil Rights Division's Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the 'affair.

If you or someone you know may be affected by or a victim of commercial sex trafficking, please contact [email protected].

Where the sex trafficking ring operated in southeastern Massachusetts

Disturbing statement from a Homeland Security special agent

Coercing minor victims through violence

What is the punishment for sex trafficking

Lina Portman

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