2 Peabody Men Charged In Salem Human Sex Trafficking Bust: Police

SALEM, MA — Two Peabody men and a Shrewsbury man are facing human sex trafficking and prostitution charges after Salem police raided a pair of Boston Street businesses.

Salem police said a months-long investigation led to search warrants at New Custom Bodywork and Red Rose Reflexology on Boston Street on Friday.

Police said Peter Leavitt, 57, of Peabody, Fang Liu, 52, of Peabody and Barry St. Onge, 64, of Orange, were to be charged with trafficking a person for sexual servitude, deriving support from prostitution, and operating a house of prostitution.

"We see this as much as a rescue operation as it is a criminal investigation," Salem Police Chief Lucas Miller said. "The exploitation of victims of human trafficking will not be tolerated in the city of Salem."

Miller said the raids were part of the three-month investigation into Salem businesses advertising with the terms "spa," "reflexology," and "bodywork."

He said the investigation focused on those exploiting the workers and not the workers themselves, whom he called the "victims" in the cases, who "are treated accordingly throughout the investigative process."

The Massachusetts State Police Human Trafficking Division, the Essex County District Attorney's Office and the Essex County Sheriff's Office assisted in the investigation.