A Tufts Medical Center anesthesiologist was arrested Wednesday in a federal child sex trafficking sting, authorities say.
Sadeq Ali Quraishi was charged with attempted sex trafficking of a child and ordered held without bail in federal court in Boston Thursday. The charge includes a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, and could land him there up to life, if he's convicted.
Tufts Medical Center said it has suspended Quraishi's medical privileges and placed him on leave pending more information from authorities, a representative for the Boston hospital said.
Quraishi responded to an ad posted online showing what appeared to be two young females that it referred to as "beautiful flowers" who were "Travelin' thru town on a lil roadtrip!" according to documents filed in court. The doctor allegedly started texting with an undercover officer, who told him they were girls, 12 and 14 years old, available for sex.
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After a back-and-forth conversation in which both sides asked if the other was a police officer, Quraishi agreed to pay $250 to have sex with one of these made up girls, according to the criminal complaint, written by a special agent from the Homeland Security Investigations department.
"Ugh … man you're making things difficult - seems like a fun experience … just not in the mood to get arrested today," Quraishi texted, according to the court document.
When he arrived at the hotel, he met with an undercover officer and paid $250 in exchange for a hotel keycard, officials said. Afterward, he was arrested, and agents verified that Quraishi had the phone they had been texting with by calling it.
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"Dr. Quraishi firmly denies the allegations that have been made against him," attorneys from J.W. Carney, Jr. & Associates, representing Quraishi, said in a statement Thursday. "He looks forward to contesting these claims in court where he is confident that he will be exonerated."
Quraishi is due back in court Tuesday for a hearing on whether he can be released.
