Worcester Restaurant Owner Charged In Child Sex Sting

WORCESTER, MA —A Worcester business owner and former Worcester Public Schools soccer star is accused of trying to pay for sex with a federal agent posing as a 15-year-old girl, according to police.

Leo A. Varetas, 61, was arrested May 1 during a joint operation involving Worcester police and Homeland Security investigators, Worcester police said.

He owns of Leo’s T-Bird Pizza at 366 Chandler St, according to reports.

According to Worcester police, Varetas communicated online with a federal agent posing as a teenage girl and arranged to meet at a Worcester hotel, where he was taken into custody.

He is charged with human trafficking of a child, enticing a child under the age of 16, and offering to pay for sex with a child.

Authorities said the arrest was part of a coordinated undercover investigation between the Worcester Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations.

Varetas was also set to be inducted into the Worcester Public Schools Athletic Hall of Fame this year for his accomplishments as a soccer player at Doherty High School in the 1980s. However, a district spokesperson told the Telegram & Gazette that he will no longer be inducted.

• Worcester Schools To Induct 2026 Athletic Hall Of Fame Class

The district currently lists 12 alumni as members of the 2026 WPS Athletic Hall of Fame class.

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