ICE HSI investigation leads to conviction of woman who trafficked minors into commercial sex in Massachusetts

A Massachusetts woman has been convicted of sex trafficking charges in federal court. Christy "Lula" Parker, 28, of Fall River, coerced an adult and two minor victims to engage in commercial sex acts by subjecting them to physical beatings, threats, intimidation, sleep deprivation, and starvation, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). 

Parker pleaded guilty on April 8 to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and one count of sex trafficking a minor. ICE Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) agents, who led the investigation, said that Parker was the ringleader in the illicit scheme.

Court documents state that Parker coerced the adult victim to engage in commercial sex acts in January 2023, in which the victim was physically beaten, threatened, and verbally abused into compliance. Additionally, Parker threatened to have authorities take the victim's 3-year-old child away from her.
 

Between July and August 2023, Parker worked with a minor to recruit two more minor victims for commercial sex. The victims were harbored in a house and a Fall River hotel, where they were threatened, prohibited from sleeping, and starved of food. The minor victims were recruited under the false promise of earning easy money; however, Parker and her co-defendants confiscated their earnings, according to court documents.

One of the minor victims called a social worker for help in August 2023, which ultimately led to Parker's arrest.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) highlighted HSIs' critical work in this case, writing in a release, "Although many Americans think ICE's work is strictly immigration related, ICE enforces over 400 federal laws and statutes. Ending human trafficking is one of the agency's most important missions." HSI is the detective arm of ICE.

Parker faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in federal prison. She will be sentenced on July 15 in the US Court for the District of Massachusetts. Four of her co-defendants have already been convicted and sentenced on charges. The HSI New England Field Office and Fall River Police Department are investigating this case.