On November 3, 2022, Sadeq A. Quraishi, 45, a doctor at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, MA, was arrested for the attempted sex trafficking of a child. Quraishi was arrested as part of an undercover operation in which a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent posted an advertisement, posing as the “mother” of a 14-year-old-girl. The advertisement made it clear that the “mother” was selling her “daughter” for sex.
Quraishi allegedly answered an online advertisement in which a “mother” claimed to be traveling with “two beautiful flowers that are ready to bloom,” one of whom was a 14-year-old girl. Quraishi allegedly asked if the “mother” was a law enforcement officer, and the HSI agent replied that “she” was not. During this conversation, Quraishi and the agent allegedly discussed various sexual acts that the “mother” would allow the “daughter” to perform, and Quraishi expressed some trepidation at the thought of having sex with a 14-year-old. Quraishi allegedly explained that he “[w]ould never have done this [arranging to meet] if [the “mother”] was not so persuasive . . . just the age thing is throwing me. If [the mother] were to tell [him] she’s 16 or older and just looks young enough to pass off for 14 that would be a different thing.”
Quraishi then allegedly went to a prearranged hotel, where he met an undercover HSI agent who was posing as the “mother.” After showing the agent that he had cash, the agent brought Quraishi to a hotel room where he thought he would have sex with the 14-year-old. Quraishi was then arrested. During the arrest, authorities found the cell phone allegedly matching the one used during the text conversations with the undercover agent. According to the affidavit, after his arrest, Quraishi indicated he had purchased sex in the past.
Quraishi is a board-certified anesthesiologist, intensivist, and clinical nutrition, who worked at a nationally renowned hospital. He had previously worked at the M. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. Quraishi’s position as a physician highlights how sex traffickers often use positions of power, wealth, and influence to exploit vulnerable individuals. At the CSE Institute, we have observed lawyers, doctors, teachers, bosses, and landlords alike who have used their power, wealth, and status to buy sex and exploit others. Quraishi’s arrest also highlights the pervasive issue of sex trafficking and exploitation.
Trafficking occurs everywhere, all the time. While many people believe that trafficking only happens “somewhere else,” trafficking happens across the United States, in urban, as well as in rural areas. Individuals, frequently in trusted positions of power, are exploiting others and buying sex or exchanging something else of value for sex.
The CSE Institute commends Tufts Medical Center for firing Quraishi in response to these allegations. In addition, the CSE Institute commends HSI for its dedication to protecting minors and combatting commercial sexual exploitation in the United States. To eradicate commercial sexual exploitation, it is imperative law enforcement proactively attempts to identify predatory offenders. The CSE Institute applauds these agencies for utilizing their resources to combat the sexual exploitation of minors.
The CSE Institute will continue to provide updates as they become available.
All views expressed herein are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law or Villanova University.