Massachusetts man convicted of sex trafficking using social media

BOSTON – A Dracut man was convicted by a federal jury in Boston of sex trafficking four different victims out of his residences in Dracut and Malden.

Reginald Abraham, 51, was convicted of four counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion. U.S. District Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Nov. 20, 2019. Abraham was charged and arrested on Sept. 6, 2017, and has been in federal custody since.

Law enforcement began investigating Abraham in January 2017 after learning about his trafficking operations from several victims. Abraham approached his victims, usually through social media, and began communicating with them in an effort to convince them to live with him. He eventually picked up his victims, all from Maine, and drove them to his residence in Malden, and later Dracut. After arriving at his home, Abraham forced the women into prostitution throughout New England. He maintained his control over these victims through the use of physical violence, threats, rape, and the giving and withholding of drugs, including heroin and crack cocaine. Abraham trafficked the victims from 2012 through 2016.

The charge of sex trafficking through force, fraud, or coercion provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Portland (Maine) Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Dracut and Portland Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leah B. Foley and Stephen W. Hassink of Lelling’s Civil Rights Enforcement Team are prosecuting the case.