A 36-year-old Maryland man, William O’Neil Murray III, has pleaded guilty to federal charges of sex trafficking. Murray admitted to exploiting the drug dependencies of at least three women, coercing them into commercial sex work across multiple states.
According to court documents, Murray’s operation ran from December 2021 to July 2022. He controlled his victims by manipulating their access to drugs, creating a cycle of dependence and fear.
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If the women did not comply with his demands for commercial sex, he would withhold drugs, causing them severe withdrawal symptoms.
Murray managed every aspect of the sex trafficking operation, from arranging meetings with clients through online platforms to setting prices and transporting victims. He maintained strict control over their lives, requiring them to stay in constant communication and punishing them if they disobeyed.
Murray controlled his victims’ narcotics use, not allowing them to obtain drugs from anyone but himself, therefore taking complete control of each victim’s drug dependency.
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He would withhold drugs from his victims if they did not follow his directions or engage in commercial sex.
Many of the victims described becoming “dopesick” when Murray withheld drugs from them. Thus, Murray stood between them and the threat of withdrawal. Murray knew that withholding drugs from the victims would have a coercive effect and incentivize them to obey him.
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The crimes took place across multiple states, including Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, West Virginia, New York, New Jersey, and Florida.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s I-81 Human Trafficking Task Force and the Virginia State Police. The task force is a collaborative effort focused on combating human trafficking along the I-81 corridor.
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