Milton Man Charged With Sex Trafficking

MILTON, MA – A Milton man was arrested Friday and charged with federal sex trafficking crimes, the U.S. Attorney's office said. Duhamel Cassagnol, 30, is accused of recruiting and transporting women across state lines to engage in sex acts, knowing that they would be subject to force, fraud or coercion, according to authorities. He also allegedly took women between states to participate in prostitution.

Cassagnol was charged in an indictment with committing sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; engaging in a conspiracy to commit sex trafficking; and transporting an individual for prostitution. His alleged crimes took place between July 2014 and February 2016, the USAO said.

A Connecticut woman, 23-year-old Geneiva Whaley, was charged in a criminal complaint with transporting an individual for prostitution. Authorities said Whaley knowingly took one of Cassagnol's victims from Massachusetts to Connecticut in October of 2015 for the purpose of prostitution.

Whaley allegedly recruited the woman, who had just been released from a detox facility, and worked with Cassagnol to keep her in various hotels in Connecticut. The pair allegedly gave the woman drugs and prostituted her while she stayed at the hotels, which were in Whaley's name, the USAO said.

Cassagnol and Whaley were detained following an appearance in federal court Friday afternoon.

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