A former Boston Public Colleges worker is accused of grooming and sexually exploiting teen women, as he faces a protracted listing of kid rape, intercourse trafficking and quite a few different costs.
John Cokley, 38, an ex-Brighton Excessive College and MissionSAFE employees member, has been arraigned on a 30-count baby intercourse indictment.
Cokley allegedly sexually exploited 5 highschool college students via Instagram and raped two of them between final fall and this March.
The Boston man is charged with: seven counts of intercourse trafficking of a kid; 5 counts of aggravated rape of a kid; one rely of rape of a kid by drive; three counts of posing a baby in a state of nudity; 4 counts of posing a baby in a state of sexual conduct; 4 counts of engaging a baby underneath 18 into industrial intercourse; two counts of inducing a minor to promote a managed substance; one rely of dissemination of dangerous matter to a minor; possession of kid pornography; and buying baby pornography.
Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden urged anybody who might have been victimized by Cokley to contact the Boston Police Human Trafficking Unit at 617-343-6533.
“These allegations are extremely disturbing, particularly because they involve a person of trust with institutional access to young people,” Hayden stated. “Social media is embedded in our society and so is the manipulation and exploitation that come along with it. I commend these students and the school for coming forward and encourage anyone who believes they have been a victim to contact the police.”
Cokley labored as a paraprofessional at Brighton Excessive College from 2019 to 2021, and was affiliated with MissionSAFE, an area nonprofit that works with Boston at-risk youth and their households.
The investigation revealed that Cokley allegedly surrounded himself with teenage women, grooming them whereas exploiting their vulnerabilities and monetary insecurities.
Earlier this yr, an area highschool reported that one in every of their college students was being sexually exploited. Investigators from the Boston Police Human Trafficking Unit have been supplied with a collection of Instagram messages between the coed and Cokley — exchanging bare movies and pictures, in addition to discussing the place Cokley would meet the coed to have intercourse in trade for cash.
Then different victims have been recognized, who reported being exploited and/or abused by Cokley. They described assembly Cokley via Instagram, the place he used the username “Hiddenjewelsgh,” and being induced into sending bare movies and pictures in trade for cash.
Cokley randomly messaged the women via Instagram and would praise their look to make a connection. He would supply the women an “allowance” in the event that they despatched him bare pictures or movies. Cokley repeatedly requested to satisfy up in individual to have intercourse in trade for cash. Additionally, Cokley requested two victims to promote marijuana.
Cokley was described as at all times sporting a black ski masks when participating in sexual exercise in trade for cash.
He would usually complain that the women, who have been sometimes in class, weren’t responding to him fast sufficient and threatened to remove their “allowance.” On one event, Cokley requested one of many victims to enter the college toilet and take a unadorned video of herself, and ship it to him in trade for cash via CashApp.
Investigators allegedly discovered dozens of bare pictures and movies of the victims on each his telephone and Instagram account. Cokley could be seen in a number of self-produced movies of kid sexual abuse materials.
Cokley has been ordered held with out bail pending a dangerousness listening to on July 2.
Whereas the victims and witnesses of any crime ought to name 911 in an emergency, there are extra sources out there to report suspected crimes towards youngsters. In Suffolk County, survivors of kid abuse and exploitation and their non-offending caretakers can obtain complete providers on the Youngsters’s Advocacy Middle of Suffolk County.
Additionally, the CAC has a specialised program, Assist to Finish Exploitation Now, that particularly works with and advocates for youth affected by trafficking and exploitation. The CAC could be reached at 617-779-2146.
Anybody who believes {that a} baby in Massachusetts stands out as the sufferer of abuse can name the Division of Youngsters and Households’ Little one at Danger Hotline at 1-800-792-5200. These involved {that a} baby is being exploited on-line might report a Cybertip to the Nationwide Middle for Lacking and Exploited Youngsters at 1-800-THE-LOST or www.cybertipline.com.
