Yarmouth doctor accused of sex trafficking and running illicit massage business

A Yarmouth doctor has been charged with sex trafficking for allegedly running an illicit massage business that served as a front for prostitution, according to police.

Peter O’Donnell Cumberland County Jail

Peter O’Donnell, 68, was arrested Thursday after police executed search warrants at 475 U.S. Route 1 in Freeport, and a medical office at 60 Forest Hills Drive in Yarmouth.

A medical license listed for O’Donnell lists the same Yarmouth address and describes it as a family practice.

Freeport police said in a statement Friday that his business, A. Envy in Freeport, “served as a front for prostitution, with O’Donnell recruiting and employing individuals to perform sexual services for clients.”

During the investigation, police identified two people suspected to be victims of human trafficking, police said.

“Sex trafficking remains a serious issue across the nation and Maine is not immune. This case highlights how some individuals misuse power, wealth or influence to exploit others,” the statement said.

O’Donnell’s arrest followed an investigation by Freeport and Brunswick police that officials say was extensive and aimed at “dismantling networks involved in both sex and labor trafficking and providing necessary resources and support to victims.”

Under Maine law, sex trafficking is a Class D crime and occurs when a “person knowingly promotes prostitution.”

Messages left at O’Donnell’s medical practice and the massage parlor were not returned Friday.

O’Donnell’s bail was set at $2,500 and his arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 7.

According to his medical license with the state medical board, he earned his medical degree at the American University of the Caribbean in 1986 and has no disciplinary history in Maine.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Detective Rice of the Freeport Police Department at 207-865-4800 or Detective Kittredge of the Brunswick Police Department at 207-721-4312.

HOW TO GET HELP

IF YOU or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, you can call the National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about sex trafficking resources in Maine, visit the Maine Sex Trafficking and Exploitation Network or the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence. 

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