HARRISBURG – Attorney General Dave Sunday announced the arrest of a Dauphin County man charged with running a human trafficking operation for several years in Dauphin and Cumberland counties.
Michael J. Choma, 45, allegedly used the websites, “Backpage” and “Skip the Games” to recruit young women and advertise commercial sex between 2017 and 2021.
Choma was arrested Friday and arraigned on numerous felonies, including trafficking in individuals, involuntary servitude, and rape. A Dauphin County district judge denied bail, deeming Choma a “threat to victims and society.”
The charges stem from a joint investigation by the Office of Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Section and the Pennsylvania State Police’s Organized Crime Unit.
“Human traffickers cause widespread harm to communities where they operate and long term trauma for survivors,” Attorney General Sunday said. “The collaborative work led by our Human Trafficking Section exposed a defendant who allegedly preyed on individuals struggling with substance abuse and other hardships. This conduct was nothing short of cruel and dehumanizing.”
In all, Choma is charged with trafficking in individuals, involuntary servitude, promoting prostitution, criminal use of a communication facility, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, aggravated assault, rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault, aggravated indecent assault, sexual assault, and delivery of a controlled substance.
Choma is alleged to have used violence, access to controlled substances, duress, and debt coercion to control his victims. Choma handled the advertisements that were posted, the money made, and communicated with the commercial sex buyers. He would only give the victims a small percentage of the money paid by commercial sex buyers, keeping most of it for himself. Choma also arranged for the survivors to perform sexual acts with a known drug supplier in exchange for drugs, which Choma also pocketed.
Additionally, Choma also assaulted individuals by allegedly drugging them with GHB, commonly referred to as a “date rape drug,” and sexually assaulted them after the drug caused them to become unconscious.
This case will be prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Kayla Bolan from the Organized Crime Section and Deputy Attorney General Lauren Perchinski from the Human Trafficking Section. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
# # #