Feds arrest man on Nantucket in early morning operation involving multiple felony charges

A man in Nantucket, Massachusetts, was arrested on Thursday after allegedly trafficking children, according to the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS).

Rigoberto Chavez-Regaldo, 40, was arrested in the early morning on Oct. 8 in a multi-agency operation that involved the alleged trafficking of minors, the federal agency announced in a news release.

Chavez was charged with sexual conduct for a fee, aggravated rape — serious bodily injury, aggravated statutory rape of a child, rape of a child with force, trafficking a person for sexual servitude, indecent assault and battery on a person over 14, enticing a child under 16 and sell/deliver liquor to a person under 21.

Nantucket is an island about 30 miles by ferry south from Cape Cod, in the state of Massachusetts. (iStock)

He was arraigned on Thursday and was ordered to be held without bail, which will be reevaluated at a dangerousness hearing on Tuesday.

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Dennis Matulewicz, head of the USMS for the District of Massachusetts, said the allegations are among the "most disturbing."

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Evening light falls on boats as they bob in the harbor of Nantucket, Massachusetts, on Aug. 13, 2020. (Erin Clark/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

"Allegations concerning the sexual exploitation and trafficking of children are arguably the most disturbing we encounter. Protecting young people from predators is our highest obligation as a society, and the USMS and our law enforcement partners will use every resource at our disposal to pursue anyone who preys on them," Matulewicz said. "Our Fugitive Task Force represents the very best of collaborative law enforcement. Today's arrest reflects the strength of those partnerships and our shared commitment to our communities and public safety. Our thoughts and prayers are with the children affected by these alleged crimes as they heal and move forward."

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Authorities said more details won't be released to protect the identity of minor victims.

A view of a marina on Nantucket. (iStock)

The U.S. Marshals Service worked with Brockton Police, Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section, Massachusetts State Police Air Wing and the Nantucket Police to make the arrest.