Police Chief Frederick Ryan has praised the strong police work that has led to the resolution of a sex-trafficking case and brought three sex traffickers to justice. YourArlington reported an initial story about the indictments a year ago.
“We will find and prosecute those who choose to exploit innocent victims and ensure justice is served,” Chief Ryan said in a statement released Wednesday, Oct. 21, by spokesman John Guilfoil.
“I would like applaud the hard work and dedication by our Arlington Police Detectives, our partners in the FBI, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adi Goldstein for ridding our community of three dangerous individuals.”
The release included the following background from the Department of Justice:
Three individuals who participated in a conspiracy in August 2014 trafficking two females, one of them a minor, from Boston into Rhode Island for the purpose of offering them for commercial sexual activity were sentenced in a Providence federal court by U.S. District Court Judge Mary M. Lisi. They are:
Kemont Bowie, 35, of Central Falls, was sentenced on Oct. 20 to 13 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release. On June 11, 2015 Bowie pleaded guilty to conspiracy, sex trafficking of a child and transportation of a minor for sexual activity
Ricky Wallace, 34, of Pawtucket was sentenced on Aug. 14 to 12 years in federal prison, followed by five years’ supervised release, for his participation in the conspiracy. On March 23, 2015, Wallace pleaded guilty to one count of each conspiracy, sex trafficking of a child and transportation of a minor for sexual activity, and two counts of transportation of an individual for sexual activity.
Raechyl Spooner, 21, of Pawtucket was sentenced on Oct. 8 to three years’ probation. On June 12, 2015, Spooner pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy.
On Aug. 19, 2014, a 17-year-old female was taken from South Station in Boston and driven by the defendants to Rhode Island for the purpose of being trafficked for commercial sexual activity.
According to the victim, she was driven to the same Pawtucket residence where she was located by law enforcement six days later and rescued by FBI agents, Pawtucket Police and Central Falls Police. She was located after she contacted a group home in the Boston area in which she resided, who in turn contacted the FBI. Provocative photographs taken of the victim were posted in advertisements placed on Backpage.com.
Additionally, on Aug. 22, 2014, Wallace offered a 20-year-old Boston area woman a ride from South Station in Boston to Cambridge. Instead of driving her to Cambridge, she was driven to Pawtucket and then to a motel in Seekonk, where she was photographed and offered on Backpage.com for commercial sexual activity. The woman repeatedly asked that she be driven back to the Boston area. The next day the woman was able to get away from Wallace and had contact with Seekonk Police, who was assisted by Rhode Island State Police in their investigation.
The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Peter F Neronha; Harold H Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston field office of the FBI; Pawtucket Police Chief Paul King; Central Falls Police Chief Colonel James J. Mendonca; Colonel Steven G. O’Donnell, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police; United States Marshal Jamie A. Hainsworth; and Arlington Chief Ryan.
This case originated with the Arlington Police Department and an Arlington Police detective, who is assigned to the Federal Task Force that investigates cases of missing and exploited children.
This news release, which includes opinion, was published Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015.
