Police Charge Man with Profiting From Andover Prostitution

A Boston man was arrested Friday and charged with luring a woman from the Midwest to work as an Andover prostitute.

Joshua Toney, 34, was arrested by Massachusetts State Police troopers assigned to the High Risk Victim Unit and Andover Police. He was charged with trafficking of persons for sexual servitude, two counts of deriving support from earnings of a prostitute and procuring a person to practice, or enter a place for prostitution.

The arrest came after State Police and Andover Police found Toney had lured a woman from the Midwest to Massachusetts with the intent of using her for prostitution. According to State Police, evidence suggests Toney arranged for that woman to work with another woman. The second woman used the internet to arrange clients for both women. Clients then met the women in Andover, and Toney collected money when the women were paid.

Police obtained an arrest warrant for Toney Thursday, took Toney into custody Friday and brought him to the Boston Municipal Court, where he had a hearing on an unrelated case.

He was arraigned in Lawrence District Court and ordered held without bail pending a hearing next Friday. Toney is being prosecuted by the Essex District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett.