By Tiffany Williams –
A Worcester husband and wife were found guilty Monday of running a brutal sex trafficking scheme that targeted a younger relative, federal prosecutors said.
After a six-day trial in U.S. District Court in Worcester, a jury convicted Kiersten Soto, 32, and Moises Soto, 33, of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion. Kiersten was also nailed on a third charge—using interstate facilities to promote unlawful activity. Judge Margaret Guzman set sentencing for Dec. 19. Both were first indicted in December 2022.
Prosecutors laid out a disturbing case showing that from February through May 2022, the couple exploited the victim across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, advertising her for commercial sex through an online site.
Kiersten threatened the victim with violence, abandonment, and even involuntary commitment to a facility. Moises used savage physical abuse—beatings, choking, and assaults with wooden dowels—when the victim failed to bring in enough cash.
Jurors saw damning cell phone videos of the couple trapping the victim inside their home, threatening and berating her while she suffered through painful drug withdrawals.
The convictions mark another major federal win against human trafficking in New England, with the Sotos now facing the possibility of decades behind bars.