A Sri Lankan Buddhist monk serving as a university chaplain in the United States has been arrested in Boston as part of an undercover prostitution sting and is expected to face charges in Boston Municipal Court.
The Boston Police Department’s Human Trafficking Unit said Rev. Mahayaye-Vineetha Thero, 32, was among seven people taken into custody during an operation on June 13 targeting commercial sexual exploitation. All seven are expected to be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court on charges related to allegedly paying for sexual services.
The chaplain had been appointed to Tufts University in 2024 and provided Buddhist pastoral support to students at the Massachusetts institution. Local media reports cited by Newswire said he resigned from the position following the arrest.
Police said the investigation is part of a broader effort to identify potential victims of human trafficking and urged anyone with information about trafficking activity to contact investigators. The Department said the operation aimed not only at customers but at building intelligence on the networks supplying women for paid sex in the Boston area.
The allegations have not been tested in court, and all those charged are presumed innocent unless found guilty. Sri Lanka’s consular network in the United States has not publicly commented on the case at the time of writing.
