Beverly Couple Accused Of Human Trafficking Seen As Flight Risk

SALEM, MA — Salem Superior Court Judge Timothy Feeley revoked bail Thursday for a Beverly woman accused of human trafficking and operating a brothel out of an apartment in Salem. Feeley had been asked to reduce bail for Hayun Nam, 30, and her boyfriend, Wooryong Heo, 29, who is also charged in the case. During the same hearing, Feeley raised Heo's bail to $75,000; he had already posted $50,000 bail but was taken back into custody Thursday.

"I view each of these defendants as a significant flight risk, given their lack of ties to the community, as well as to the United States, their non-citizen status and the likelihood that a conviction will result in automatic deportation," Feeley said, according to the Salem News.

State Police arrested the South Korean couple in February and charged each with trafficking of persons for sexual servitude, deriving support from prostitution and money laundering. Both were released to house arrest on $50,000 bail.

Heo and Nam had previously pleaded not guilty in Salem District Court. 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 the money collected for themselves, the indictment said.

For more on this story, see the Salem News.