Prostitution Ring Being Run In Andover

ANDOVER, MA -- A joint investigation by Andover and State police led to the arrest on Friday of a Boston man accused of running a prostitution ring in Andover.

On Friday morning, Troopers assigned to the Massachusetts State Police High Risk Victim Unit (HRVU) and Andover Police officers arrested Joshua Toney, 34, of Boston, and charged him with:

-Traffickingof persons for sexual servitude;

-Deriving support from earnings of a prostitute (2 counts);

-Procuring a person to practice, or enter a place for prostitution.

He was taken into custody in the Boston Municipal Court, where he had a hearing on an unrelated case.

A joint investigation by the HRVU and Andover Police allege that Toney lured a woman from the Midwest to Massachusetts with the intent of using her for prostitution.

Toney allegedly arranged for that woman to work with another woman. The second woman used the Internet to arrange for the clients for both women, police allege.

The clients met the women in Andover, and Toney would then collect the money the women were paid, police allege.

At his arraignment in Lawrence District Court, Toney was ordered held without bail pending a hearing on April 21.