Contact: Beth Stone
508-584-8120
BROCKTON – A Quincy man has been sent to State Prison on human trafficking charges after he attempted to meet up with an undercover officer posing as an underage female, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz announced today.
After a day-long bench trial, Anthony McCaffrey (DOB: 5/19/59) of Quincy, was convicted on one count each of Human Trafficking of a Child Under 18 and Engaging in Sexual Conduct for a Fee with a Minor. Plymouth Superior Court Judge Cornelius Moriarty sentenced McCaffrey to serve five years to five years and one day in State Prison. The Commonwealth had requested that McCaffrey be sentenced to serve 7-10 years.
On December 12, 2017, a Lakeville police officer posed as an underage female online. McCaffrey, who is listed on the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry as a Level 3 Offender, contacted the undercover Lakeville officer via email and made arrangements to get together at the commuter rail bus station parking lot in Lakeville. McCaffrey agreed to pay $50 for a sexual act, and, several hours later, arrived at the parking lot to pick up the underage female. McCaffrey left the area after no one appeared and Lakeville Police officers pulled his vehicle over a short time later. In the visor of his car, McCaffrey had $50 cash, which was the agreed upon amount of payment for the sexual act.
McCaffrey’s conviction is a first in Plymouth County where the attempted purchaser of a sexual act was convicted under the Human Trafficking statute, which carries with it a five year minimum/mandatory sentence. “Human trafficking, especially involving our children, is not just a problem abroad, it is a problem here,” DA Cruz said. “Law enforcement needs to continuously adapt to keep up with the criminals engaging in these enterprises, and that includes adding teeth to the laws like the Human Trafficking Statute, which established mandatory/minimum sentencing so that we can keep our communities safe.”
Assistant District Attorney Amanda Fowle prosecuted this case, which was investigated by the Lakeville Police Department.