“Delivered Like Pizza”: Sex Slaves in Massachusetts

A 50-year-old East Boston woman was the mastermind behind a human trafficking operation that forced women into prostitution in Massachusetts. Ramona Hernandez and her husband, Rafael Henriquez, earned the dubious distinction of being the first individuals charged under the state’s new anti-trafficking law. The couple lured women into their net and then shipped them to Massachusetts to be victimized as prostitutes. Law enforcement likened the sex ring to a pizza delivery business: Rafael would deliver the women to customers’ homes in the greater Boston area and wait outside in his green Toyota Corolla while the 15-minute “house call” took place. Their victims were forced to service as many as 15 customers a day. Their scheme came crashing down when multiple law agencies cooperated in fielding “Operation Persistent Rain”, a months-long investigation that resulted in arrests in March 2012.