DERRY, N.H. — Two women face charges of trafficking women for sexual purposes as part of an online escort service operating in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Charlotte Napolitano, 45, of Derry, New Hampshire, and Sonya Palic, 46, of Manchester, New Hampshire, were arrested and arraigned on numerous charges, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced Tuesday.

“We allege that these defendants ran an organized and sophisticated criminal enterprise in which they profited personally from trafficking women to sex buyers in our communities,” Healey said. 

“Demand for commercial sex drives this exploitative industry and we will continue our work to disrupt these operations and prosecute traffickers to protect women from this egregious crime,” she added.

The two women allegedly advertised and provided escort services in the northeast, mostly in Massachusetts but also New Hampshire and New York through their website, chloescompanions.com, according to the Attorney General’s Office, who ordered the site to be taken down.

Napolitano operated under the nickname “Red” and Palic was known as “Chloe” as they arranged for women to meet with men at hotels for sex.

The two were arrested Wednesday, following an investigation that began in September.

The Attorney General’s Office investigation revealed that the two women ran the escort office from their home offices in New Hampshire. 

At least 12 to 15 women were trafficked for sex through the website from Massachusetts communities that included Newton, Boston, Braintree, Lexington and Waltham, the Attorney General’s Office said. 

After a hearing on Thursday in Derry, New Hampshire, Napolitano was arraigned on single counts each of trafficking in persons for sexual servitude, deriving support from prostitution, money laundering and conspiracy to traffic persons for sexual servitude.

A probable cause hearing has been set for March 8.   

Palic was arraigned Wednesday on single counts each of trafficking in persons for sexual servitude, deriving support from prostitution, money laundering and conspiracy to traffic persons for sexual servitude.

She pleaded not guilty and her bail was set at $100,000 cash, the Attorney General’s Office said.

Palic was also ordered not to have contact with Napolitano, customers or the women and that she give up her passport, the Attorney General’s Office said. A probable cause hearing is scheduled for March 20.

The case was investigated by numerous authorities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, including state police, Derry police, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office’s Human Trafficking Division. 

Ireland writes for the North Andover, Massachusetts Eagle Tribune.