BOSTON, Oct. 28, 2014—A child enticement investigation that began in Winthrop this summer has led to a Malden man’s indictment for child rape and human trafficking of a minor, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley and Winthrop Police Chief Terence Delehanty announced.

The indictments, returned on Oct. 22, charge THOMAS VINCENT ROSE (D.O.B. 2/9/52) with two counts of enticement of a child, two counts of human trafficking of a minor, and single counts of rape of a child and aggravated rape of a child. Because of prior convictions in Norfolk and Suffolk counties for which he is a Level III sex offender, Rose was additionally indicted as a habitual offender.

Rose was arraigned on the new charges in Suffolk Superior Court on Friday. At the request of Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Keeley, his bail was set at $250,000.

The indictments reflect evidence gathered by Winthrop Police detectives and Suffolk prosecutors assigned to the DA’s Child Protection Unit since late July, when Winthrop Police encountered Rose in his SUV with a 22-year-old woman and two juveniles in their mid-teens in a parking lot just after 11:00 p.m.

One of the two teens disclosed that Rose had supplied them with alcohol and marijuana and had sought to engage in sexual conduct with them. Based on these disclosures, Rose was charged with child enticement and held on high bail at his Aug. 1 arraignment in East Boston Municipal Court. The investigation continued over the days and weeks that followed as detectives conducted interviews, prosecutors subpoenaed phone records, and witnesses testified behind the closed doors of the Suffolk County Grand Jury.

The investigation revealed that Rose allegedly provided the 14- and 15-year old victims with cash and marijuana, sought to recruit them into commercial sexual activity, and sexually assaulted the 15-year-old victim. He faces enhanced penalties if convicted because of a 1975 Suffolk County conviction and 15- to 20-year sentence for rape and a 1988 Norfolk County conviction and 9- to 10-year sentence for assault with intent to rape.

Under the “safe harbor” provision of Massachusetts’ human trafficking laws, the criminal justice system treats juveniles engaged in commercial sexual activity as victims, not offenders. That provision was drafted by Conley and based on a voluntary policy his office instituted in 2006.

Kate Lagana is the DA’s assigned victim-witness advocate. Rose is represented by attorney Kevin Mullen. He will return to court on Dec. 2 and his presumptive trial date is scheduled for next fall.

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.