A Bristol Township man is facing serious charges after a human trafficking investigation conducted by Bensalem Township police.
Sean Patrick Leahy, 26, of Bristol Township’s Levittown section, was arraigned last week on charges of trafficking an individual, involuntary servitude, simple assault, promoting prostitution, and a drug-related offense. He was sent to the Bucks County Correctional Facility on 10 percent of $7 million.
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Members of Bensalem Township police’s Special Investigations Unit spoke with a woman last month who reported she met Leahy in October 2020 on Facebook. She said the pair started to date, but she began to feel uneasy. The woman also stated Leahy began to sell drugs in front of her and forced her to ingest drugs, according to court papers.
“She stated he kept her addicted to drugs,” police wrote in court papers.
Two weeks after they met, the woman was told by Leahy she needed to start supporting him financially. She replied she had no money, and Leahy had her start working as a prostitute, police said.
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The woman, who had never performed sex acts for money before, said Leahy took naked and lingerie shots of her and uploaded them on a website known for advertising prostitution, police said.
In her interview with police, the woman reportedly stated she did not want to be a prostitute but she wanted drugs, which Leahy could provide.
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Leahy allegedly set up a number of appointments with the woman and men who were soliciting sex, police said.
“If she tried to avoid a date with a sex buyer, Leahy would choke and hit her,” police wrote in court papers. They added the woman suffered bruises and a cracked tooth.
The woman reportedly said she would have four to five dates per day, but that number was not always steady.
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At the end of October, the woman was able to get in touch with her mother to let her know there was trouble. The woman was able to contact her mother once Leahy was asleep, but he would check her messages to see who she was communicating with, police said.
The woman’s mother filed a missing endangered person report with Northampton Township police.
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Once Leahy discovered the woman was contacting her mother, he became violent again and threatened to kill her, police said.
Leahy is accused of forcing the woman to take drugs and meet men for dates.
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Police said Leahy kept the profits from the prostitution.
Leahy was arrested last week and he was interviewed by detectives.
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Leahy said he was transporting a bag of methamphetamine for a drug dealer at the time of his arrest, according to police.
When asked, Leahy admitted to posting the prostitution ad of the woman online and acting as security for the dates. He also stated the woman had 10 to 12 dates in a two-day period, netting him $3,800, police said.
Leahy reportedly told police he controlled the woman’s access to drugs and mixed her fentanyl with meth.
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Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
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