Three people have been indicted by a Barnstable County grand jury in connection with separate human trafficking investigations across Cape Cod, Cape and Islands District Attorney Robert J. Galibois’s office announced Thursday.
The indictments stem from three unrelated cases in Barnstable, Yarmouth and Falmouth. The defendants — Luca Aguilar, 20, of Brewster; Rina Althany Hernandez Alcantara, 38, of Sandwich; and Ionut Stamatin, 24, of Falmouth — each face charges related to trafficking and exploitation of minors.
Aguilar was indicted Friday on six charges, including trafficking of persons for sexual servitude, attempted rape of a child, posing or exhibiting a child in a sexual act, possession of child pornography and dissemination of obscene matter to a minor, according to the district attorney’s office.
Prosecutors said Barnstable police began investigating Aguilar in April after receiving a report that a 15-year-old girl was being exploited by a 20-year-old male who allegedly offered marijuana and vaping products in exchange for sex. Further investigation identified Aguilar as the alleged suspect and revealed additional allegations involving two other minors, ages 13 and 14, officials said.
Aguilar is scheduled to be arraigned in Barnstable Superior Court at a later date, prosecutors said.
In a separate case, Alcantara was indicted Friday on a charge of trafficking of persons for sexual servitude following a September investigation by Yarmouth police, officials said.
On Sept. 11, a Yarmouth patrol officer observed suspicious activity in a local business parking lot involving two vehicles. A female passenger exited one car, entered a second vehicle driven by a man, and returned a few minutes later after the windows of the second car had fogged up, prosecutors said. Both cars then left the lot.
A traffic stop of the first vehicle, which Alcantara was driving, led to Alcantara’s arrest. She is also scheduled to be arraigned in Barnstable Superior Court at a later date.
Stamatin was indicted Wednesday on a charge of enticing a child under 16, attempted rape of a child, entricement to engage in prostitution or commercial sexual acitvity, and paying for sexual conduct with a child under 18, prosecutors said.
Authorities allege that Stamatin arranged to meet someone he believed to be a 15-year-old girl for paid sex. Investigators said he arrived at the agreed-upon location and was taken into custody. A confirmation text sent to the decoy’s phone number appeared on a phone in Stamatin’s possession, according to the DA’s office.
Stamatin was found with $170 in cash and 10 condoms, authorities said.
He was indicted on charges of enticement of a child under 16, attempted rape of a child, enticement to engage in prostitution or commercial sexual activity, and paying for sexual conduct with a child under 18. He will also be arraigned in Barnstable Superior Court at a later date, prosecutors said.
It was not immediately clear Thursday if Stamatin or Alcantara were being represented by an attorney. An attorney for Aguilar did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
Nick Stoico can be reached at nick.stoico@globe.com.