State Police Break Up North Shore Sex Trafficking Ring

BEVERLY, MA -- A Salem residence was actually a brothel, and the women working there were victims of human trafficking, according to an indictment from the Massachusetts Attorney General's office. State Police arrested Woonryong Heo, 29, and Hayun Nam, 29, both of Beverly, Thursday and charged each with trafficking of persons for sexual servitude, deriving support from prostitution and money laundering.

Heo and Nam pleaded not guilty in Salem District Court Friday. They were ordered held on $50,000 bail. If released, they would remain under house arrest with GPS tracking devices. They would also need to surrender their passports and have no contact with the victim. They are due back in court March 14 for a probable cause hearing.

Prosecutors say the couple recruited women and brought some from Flushing, NY to work in their brothel. They advertised sexual services online and set up appointments with men looking to pay for sex. Heo and Nam kept almost all of the money collected for themselves, the indictment said.

The investigation remains open. The Attorney General’s Victim Services Division is working with victim service organizations to help the women who worked at the brothel.

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Patch file photo via Shutterstock.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).