A Monroe County man has been indicted on a charge of sex trafficking conspiracy and interstate prostitution crimes.

A federal grand jury in Scranton returned an indictment on June 14, charging Thurman Stanley, 39, of East Stroudsburg, with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force and coercion, and interstate transportation of others for purposes of prostitution.According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, the indictment says that Stanley allegedly forced and coerced several women to engage in prostitution in Monroe and elsewhere, and transported women from Pennsylvania to New York, Iowa, and North Dakota to engage in prostitution.The charges stem from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, and Bismarck, North Dakota detectives.Court papers say Stanley used social network sites to recruit females for prostitution; used cellphones to post ads on adult escort websites to solicit customers; rented hotel and motel rooms in Monroe and elsewhere for purposes of prostitution; provided heroin and other illegal drugs to the prostitutes; and used force, threats, and coercion to carry out prostitution activities. The indictment alleges that the conduct occurred between December 2013 and December 2015.Stanley was arrested in May and remains in custody.Stanley faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a potential maximum sentence of life in prison for the sex trafficking charge, and up to 10 years in prison on each of the interstate prostitution charges.Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa is prosecuting the case.