On November 18, Executive Director of the Opioid Crisis Action Network (OCAN) Lawrence Arata, 65, was charged with thirty four criminal counts including Trafficking in Individuals, Patronizing Prostitutes, Intimidation of witnesses or victims, Promoting Prostitution, Obstruction of Justice, and Harassment.
According to the Delaware County District Attorney’s office press release, Arata allegedly used opioid settlement funds received through the Delaware County Government and the Pennsylvania Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement Trust to sexually exploit women suffering from opioid addiction. Arata is accused of coercing clients of OCAN to engage in commercial sex acts in exchange for gifts cards and cash which the women relied on to afford essentials like clothing, transportation, and food.
Arata and his wife, Heather, started the Opioid Crisis Action Network in response to the loss of son who died from an opioid overdose. OCAN’s mission was to provide financial and housing support for individuals recovering from addiction.
A former program director of OCAN contacted law enforcement to report that Arata allegedly offered clients money to stay with him at a Chester hotel which he frequently stayed at while working in Pennsylvania. One woman alleged Arata coerced her into sexual encounters using her need for money to purchase a coat and access to recovery program resources. A drug recovery therapist claimed Arata allegedly made an attempt to kiss her after inviting her to meet him at his hotel room and also overheard Arata apologizing to a client for making her uncomfortable with his advances.
After a search warrant was executed to search Arata’s laptop and emails, Arata allegedly visited some of the women in a bid to convince them to recant their statements, even leading to a public outburst during an event at OCAN’s headquarters.
On November 19, Arata turned himself into the Delaware County District Attorney’s Criminal Investigation Division. Arata was released later that day on bail for $50,000. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for December 4, 2025.
The CSE Institute applauds the work of the Upper Darby Township Police and the Delaware County District Attorney’s Criminal Investigation Division, and most importantly, recognizes those who have come forward. The CSE Institute supports the survivors and is pleased that the Delaware County District Attorney is taking affirmative action against human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation in Pennsylvania.
Individuals living in poverty and struggling with substance abuse are at a comparatively higher risk for trafficking. Arata targeted vulnerable women in recovery utilizing common tactics of traffickers by taking advantage of their economic needs with promises of paying for essential expenses like clothing, rent, medical costs and food. Substance abuse is a powerful tool used by traffickers to control their victims, and in this case, Arata turned women’s hope for recovery into his means of control.
The CSE Institute will provide updates as they become available.
All views expressed herein are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law or of Villanova University.