Prosecutors say the woman was confined for weeks after meeting the suspect through a dating app and was later found in unsafe conditions.
MALDEN, Mass. — A Massachusetts man has pleaded not guilty to kidnapping, human trafficking and indecent assault charges after prosecutors accused him of holding a woman captive for weeks in the attic of a Malden apartment building and forcing her into sexual encounters with other people.
Jordende Piere, 29, was arrested Sept. 24 following a human trafficking investigation and was arraigned the next day in Malden District Court. He was ordered held without bail. Prosecutors allege the woman had been confined in the attic for about six weeks before she was found and taken to safety.
Authorities said the woman told investigators she had met Piere through a dating app. Prosecutors allege he later brought her to the property, prevented her from freely leaving and subjected her to sexual abuse. Investigators also allege he arranged sexual encounters between the woman and other men. The allegations have not been proven in court, and Piere has pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors described the conditions inside the attic as poor and said the woman appeared not to have been eating adequately. Authorities said she had been living in an unfinished area with very limited facilities. Other reporting based on statements in court said investigators believed the attic door could be secured in a way that prevented her from leaving.
The woman was found Sept. 20 and was later reunited with family, according to Malden Police Chief Marc Gatcomb. Accounts published by local news organizations differ slightly on the circumstances that first brought authorities to the property. Gatcomb said an officer noticed something unusual at the building, while other reporting said the property owner discovered the woman while checking a water leak.
After the woman was found, police began building a case and sought an arrest warrant. Boston 25 News reported that Malden police worked with state and federal law enforcement during the search for Piere. He was taken into custody at the property several days after the woman was located.
Piere faces charges of kidnapping, human trafficking and indecent assault and battery on a person over 14. Authorities also said he had been on release in a separate Somerville case involving assault and weapons allegations when he was arrested in Malden. Those allegations are part of separate proceedings and do not establish guilt in the current case.
Police have said the trafficking investigation remains active and that investigators have not ruled out additional charges or charges involving other people. Authorities have not publicly identified the woman, and news organizations have withheld her identity because she is an alleged victim of sexual violence and trafficking.
The case has drawn attention because investigators allege the woman was confined inside an ordinary residential property for an extended period. Gatcomb said trafficking cases can be difficult to detect because alleged abuse may occur in homes, hotels and other locations without obvious signs visible to neighbors.
As of the latest confirmed reporting, Piere remains accused rather than convicted, and the prosecution is continuing through Massachusetts courts. Publicly available reports did not provide a verified outcome from a court appearance that had been scheduled for early October.
Author note: Last updated October 7, 2026.