East Boston couple, two others charged as sex slavers

Two East Boston residents were charged with heading a ring that would deliver women to johns' homes, the state Attorney General's office reports.

Rafael Henriquez, 39, and his wife Ramona Carpio Hernandez, 50, along with two associates, were the first people arrested under the state's human-trafficking law, which went into effect last month. They'll be arraignment Monday in East Boston District Court on one count each of trafficking in persons for sexual servitude:

Investigators allege that Hernandez and Henriquez were the leaders of this organization, running a sophisticated human trafficking operation that transported numerous women into the area, housing them in deplorable conditions for a week at a time. The AG's Office alleges these women were brought to Massachusetts for the sole purpose of engaging in the sex trade and that these defendants recruited the women, and enticed them to engage in sexual acts with "johns," sometimes up to 15 times a day. The investigation also determined that Lopez-Martinez and Suarez allegedly handled the daily operations of the organization, including supervising the two primary locations in East Boston and Chelsea as well as transporting women to house calls of other "johns."

Innocent, etc.