Sri Lankan monk arrested in America for associating with prostitutes

A Sri Lankan monk, who served as the Buddhist Chaplain at Tufts University, a leading higher education institution located in Massachusetts, United States, has been arrested by the police in that country on charges of attempting to obtain sexual services for money. According to 'The Tufts Daily' website, the monk caught in the legal net is 32-year-old Ven. Mahayaye Vineetha Thero.

He had held the position of Buddhist Chaplain at the university since December 2024.

It has been revealed that this Sri Lankan monk is among the seven individuals arrested during a special undercover operation conducted by the Boston Police Department's Human Trafficking Unit. The police organized this special raid, named 'Operation Red Card,' to curb potential commercial sex trafficking and human trafficking targeting the upcoming FIFA World Cup football tournament in the Boston area.

During this operation, Ven. Mahayaye Vineetha Thero and other suspects responded to a fake advertisement posted online by undercover police officers posing as sex workers. Authorities state that they requested various sexual acts and agreed to pay between 125 and 400 US dollars for them. The raid was subsequently carried out at the 'Moxy Boston Downtown' hotel, and police reports indicate that at the time of arrest, the suspects were present with the exact agreed-upon amount of money.

Following this incident, Ven. Mahayaye Vineetha Thero immediately resigned from his position as Buddhist Chaplain at Tufts University. Patrick Collins, Executive Director of Media Relations at the university, confirmed that he was informed of the resignation last Monday. Furthermore, the university's Head Chaplain, Reverend Elise Nelson Winger, announced in a Chaplaincy office newsletter that efforts to find a new Buddhist Chaplain will begin during the upcoming summer, but all existing Buddhist chaplaincy programs will continue without interruption. Steps have also been taken to remove his name from the university's official website.

Ven. Vineetha Thero has currently been charged with a misdemeanor for attempting to obtain sexual services for money. However, he has pleaded not guilty in court and is scheduled to appear in court again on September 2nd. It is also reported that attorney Catherine Kountze, representing Ven. Vineetha Thero, has not yet responded to media inquiries regarding this matter.