in the news

I am writing in response to the recent community news article from the Telegram & Gazette, which quotes Dr. Michael Hirsh regarding mpox cases involving two women described as homeless and as sex workers. The language used in the article was harmful to individuals with lived experience of exploitation, including those affected by human trafficking and survivors like myself.

WORCESTER – In a shocking case that has captured community news attention, the director of the St. John's Food for the Poor Program, an AbbVie employee, and three other men are facing serious sex trafficking charges. Police allege that they recently attempted to solicit sex from undercover officers posing as a 15-year-old girl. Raphael J. Mesadieu, a 39-year-old man from Worcester, who was confirmed by St. John's Church pastor Father John Madden to be serving as the food program's director, is charged with human trafficking of a child, enticement of a child under age 16, and offering to pay for sex with a child. This disturbing arrest comes four years after former program director William Riley stepped down amid allegations of coercing vulnerable soup-kitchen patrons into sex, highlighting ongoing issues related to human trafficking in the community.

When we learned that Chief Michael Alibozek of the Cheshire Police Department had been arrested and charged with soliciting sex for a fee, the community news hit hard. Alibozek has pleaded not guilty and, like anyone, is entitled to the full protections of due process. However, his arrest raises serious concerns that cannot be brushed aside. When the highest-ranking law enforcement officer in a community faces charges connected to prostitution, it forces us to confront difficult questions about trust, safety, and accountability, especially in a time when issues like human trafficking and sex trafficking demand our attention.