Dorchester man who allegedly forced teen into prostitution held without bail

Massachusetts State Police Trooper David McSweeney testified during a dangerousness hearing in Quincy District Court today that Barnes forced the girl into performing sex acts while he held her against her will in two motels in Danvers, one in Dorchester and one in Quincy.

During one stay at a motel, the girl was forced to have sex with eight men, he said.

McSweeney testified that Barnes recruited customers by having the girl pose in a pink dress for an internet posting on the website -- backpage.com. He also gave her script to read to prospective johns and assigned her the alias of “Maria.’’ The site, backpage.com, accepts ads for adult escort services.

McSweeney told District Court Judge Mark Coven that Barnes stayed in the bathroom of the motel room while the girl was forced to have sex with the men. They allegedly paid him $100 for a half hour with the child and $150 to spend an hour with her. When he was arrested, Barnes had about $19,000 in cash on him, prosecutor said.

Barnes was arrested May 19 by a State Police trooper after the girl escaped from the Best Western Adams Inn in Quincy where she was allegedly being held against her will by Barnes.

According to Norfolk Assistant District Attorney Erin Murphy, the girl ran from a motel room into the lobby where she used a public computer to ask relatives to come and rescue her

While the relatives were near the Qunicy inn, they allegedly spotted Barnes, who was taken into custody by a trooper working a paid detail on the Neponset River bridge reconstruction project.

Based on two interviews with the victim by State Police, some details emerged today about the child and the manner in which Barnes allegedly steered her into prostitution. Barnes first encountered the girl and a friend on a Boston street on May 8. He allegedly talked her into having sex with men at a Dorchester motel that day.

However, on May 9, Barnes allegedly drove her to the former Dorchester High School where she is a student at one of the three schools housed in that building. At the end of the school day, Barnes picked up the girl and then allegedly coerced her to work as a prostitute for the next 10 days.

But Barnes’ attorney, Joanna Sandman, said the girl’s accusations are a monstrous lie concocted by the girl to avoid being punished by relatives for skipping school for most of the month of May. The attorney also called the alleged victim “a troubled girl.’’

“She needed an explanation for not going to school,’’ Sandman said in court. “And she’s letting Mr. Barnes take the fall for it.’’

Sandman also said that Barnes is a wholesale car dealer and is from a large Mattapan family. Barnes has five brothers and five sisters, she said. She also said that Barnes is the father of four children, ranging in age from one year to 11 years old.

Coven ordered Barnes held without bail for at least the next 60 days.

“Mr. Barnes poses a severe and imminent danger to the victim and the community as a whole,’’ Coven said from the bench.

Prosecutors said they may charge Barnes with rape for allegedly having had sex with the girl three times.