A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty on Thursday to transporting a minor from New Hampshire and engaging in sexual activity with her.
Lawrence Marks, 35, of Tewksbury, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to transportation of a minor in interstate commerce for illegal sexual activity, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Donald Feith. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 30, 2016 and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years.
In November of 2014, New Hampshire State Police were conducting an investigation into the possible sexual abuse of several children in Franklin. The investigation led the to Marks, whom several witnesses identified as a man who had been seen frequently with one of the children.
Marks confessed to taking the child from New Hampshire to Massachusetts on several occasions, where he engaged in sexual activity with her.
The case was investigated by New Hampshire State Police, Franklin Police, the FBI and Billerica Police.
Marks' arrest was related to a larger sex trafficking case out of Franklin involving a couple charged with prostituting underage girls.
According to the Concord Monitor, William and Julie Shine were arrested last year after allegedly pimping out a 14-year-old girl for $1,000. They were also charged separately with blackmailing Marks for his truck and $50,000.
