Cumberland County prosecutors drop charge against Yarmouth doctor

Cumberland County prosecutors have dropped sex trafficking charges against a Yarmouth family doctor who they accused of running a Freeport massage parlor where women engaged in prostitution. Peter O’Donnell, 69, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of engaging a prostitute, a Class E offense, under a deferred disposition agreement, which means the charge will be dismissed if he avoids criminal conduct and completes a course on “Stopping Sexual Exploitation in Maine.” O’Donnell also agreed to pay $50 in supervision fees to the district attorney’s office every month. O’Donnell was [arrested in November 2024](https://www.pressherald.com/2024/11/08/yarmouth-doctor-accused-of-sex-trafficking-and-running-illicit-massage-business/). Freeport police alleged his massage parlor, A. Envy, “served as a front for prostitution, with O’Donnell recruiting and employing individuals to perform sexual services for clients.” Related [Yarmouth doctor accused of sex trafficking and running illicit massage business](https://www.pressherald.com/2024/11/08/yarmouth-doctor-accused-of-sex-trafficking-and-running-illicit-massage-business/) O’Donnell has denied the allegations. A jury had already been selected for his four-day trial this week before he entered the plea agreement. “Dr. O’Donnell has maintained his innocence from the start, and the Sex Trafficking charges that started this whole case have been fully dismissed,” his attorney Walt McKee said in an email. “He entered into this agreement because it will involve the total dismissal of this last remaining charge as well.” McKee said his client entered an Alford plea during a hearing Monday, meaning that he maintains his innocence but admits the state could have convinced a jury he was guilty of engaging a prostitute. District Attorney Jacqueline Sartoris could not be immediately reached for comment on the agreement, or whether there were any other charges issued related to the alleged trafficking operation. O’Donnell is also a licensed medical doctor with a family practice in Yarmouth. His license was still active Tuesday morning, according to the website for the Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine. Copy the Story Link Tagged: [court](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/court/), [Cumberland County Superior Court](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/cumberland-county-superior-court/), [doctors](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/doctors/), [freeport](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/freeport/), [sex trafficking](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/sex-trafficking/), [Yarmouth](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/yarmouth/) [](https://www.pressherald.com/author/emily-allen) [Emily AllenStaff Writer](https://www.pressherald.com/author/emily-allen) Emily Allen covers courts for the Portland Press Herald. It's her favorite beat so far — before moving to Maine in 2022, she reported on a wide range of topics for public radio in West Virginia and was. [More by Emily Allen](https://www.pressherald.com/author/emily-allen)