Warwick, RI — An East Providence teen has pled “no contest” to his part in a conspiracy to sex traffic two teen girls at motels in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, including locations in Warwick.
In April, a federal grand jury indicted Reginald Chaney, 19 at the time, of East Providence in the crimes, along with co-conspirator Jermaine Wray, 16 at the time, also of East Providence, according to a release today from Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin’s office.
On Nov. 2, Brian Desmarais, 18, of East Providence, pled nolo contendere / no contest before Family Court Judge Michael B. Forte to two counts of sex trafficking of a minor and one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor in connection with the crimes.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Desmarais received a certified sentence of 10 years with 19 months plus two days to serve and the remainder suspended with probation.
East Providence Police allege that on or about Jan. 16, Desmarais, who was 17 at the time, Wray and Chaney conspired to force the girls to perform sex acts for money. The three men took provocative photographs of the girls and posted the photographs to Backpage.com to solicit sex for money.
Police also allege that on several occasions between Jan. 18 and Jan. 30, Chaney and Wray arranged for meetings between the victims and individuals who responded to advertisements on Backpage.com, offering the victims for the purposes of commercial sexual activity. The meetings allegedly occurred at motels in Seekonk, Massachusetts, and at locations in Providence, Warwick, Charlestown, and Narragansett.
Chaney and Wray were arrested in East Providence by the East Providence Police on Jan. 29 2015, based on information developed during an investigation conducted by the Providence Police Department with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations. During the course of the investigation, police identified Desmarais as a co-conspirator. He was arrested on March 6, 2015.
On Sept. 11, 2015, Wray pleaded nolo contendere before Family Court Judge Kathleen A. Voccola to two counts of sex trafficking of a minor, one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor, and one count of felony assault. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Wray received a certified sentence of 15 years with six years to serve.
Like Desmarais, Wray, who was 15 at the time of his arrest, will begin his sentence at the Rhode Island Training School until a “modification hearing” takes place at which time a Family Court judge will determine if the sentence should be modified or continued to be served at the Adult Correctional Institution. Under certification, Wray is convicted and the sentence will extend into adulthood.
Chaney is currently being held in Rhode Island state custody as a Superior Court probation violator on a five-year suspended sentence imposed on January 14, 2015, for a weapons charge. In April 2015, a federal grand jury in Providence returned a six-count indictment charging Reginald Chaney with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a child, conspiracy to transport a minor, and two counts each of sex trafficking of a child and transportation of a minor.
“It is unimaginable for two teenage boys to conspire to commit such a heinous act, yet this is not an isolated case,” Kilmartin said. “It is not unheard of for teenagers to engage in this type of criminal behavior, targeting vulnerable peers and forcing them into sexual servitude. And, easy access to sites like Backpage.com enables them to do so.”
East Providence Police Detective Michael Field, Providence Police Detective Koren Garcia and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Jodie Donaghy led the investigation.
Author: Rob Borkowski
Rob has worked as reporter and editor for several publications, including The Kent County Daily Times and Coventry Courier, before working for Gatehouse in MA then moving home with Patch Media. Now he's publisher and editor of WarwickPost.com. Contact him at [email protected] with tips, press releases, advertising inquiries, and concerns.
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