Four charged in sex trafficking sting

Four Massachusetts men who authorities say tried to arrange sexual encounters with underage girls have been arrested, federal prosecutors said Monday.

All four men are charged with attempted sex trafficking of a child, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney’s office in Boston.

Sadeq Ali Quraishi, 45; Dmitri McKenzie, 27; and David Cannon, 59, were being held pending detention hearings scheduled for Tuesday. Misael Fabian Medina, 37, agreed to voluntary detention during a hearing on Friday.

Quraishi is an anesthesiologist who was fired by Tufts Medical Center on Friday, the hospital said.

“Dr. Quraishi firmly denies the allegations that have been made against him,” his attorney Dan Gaudet said in a statement. “He looks forward to contesting these claims in court where he is confident that he will be exonerated.”

Emails seeking comment were sent to attorneys for the other three men.

According to court documents, the suspects responded to an advertisement on a website often used to advertise commercial sex acts, then traveled to meet with undercover agents who said they were offering 12- and 14-yearold girls for sex acts in exchange for cash payments.

“These arrests show that the sex trafficking of children is happening every day,” U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins said. “There is a huge demand for this abusive, repugnant and criminal behavior. We need to dispel the myths about who actually commits this horrific crime. The perpetrators can be white collar professionals who live in nice suburban neighborhoods. Many are married. All put their own sexual gratification over the trauma and harm inflicted on vulnerable, innocent child victims.”

If convicted, the suspects face mandatory minimum sentences of 10 to 15 years behind bars.