3 arrested in child sex sting, including Framingham official

A Framingham city official is one of three Massachusetts men to face charges in a child sex sting operation.

State police said the men allegedly thought they were arranging to pay for sex with an underage child. However, they were actually communicating with undercover investigators.

Joseph C. Norton, vice chair of the Framingham Planning Board, was arrested on Dec. 18 in a coordinated online operation between State and Framingham investigators, according to a Boston Globe report. On Dec. 19, he pleaded not guilty to charges of enticing a child under 16, paying for sex with a child under 18, and attempting to commit a crime, according to the report. He was released on $2,000 cash bail and is due back in court for a Jan. 30 hearing.

Norton resigned from his position on the Planning Board on Christmas Eve. He had served on the board since 2018.

Following Norton’s arrest, Framingham Mayor Charlie Sisitsky released a statement calling the situation “a serious matter.”

“I want to be clear that the City holds all of its officials and appointees to the highest standards of integrity and conduct,” Sisitsky said. “While this is an ongoing legal process and the individual is entitled to due process, the situation has raised concerns about the continued functioning and public trust in the Planning Board.”

The other two men arrested in the sting are Eric S. Gurvis, of Sherborn, and Surya Chandra Ravi Kumar Eda, of Milford. They face the same charges as Norton.

Gurvis, a former Newton rabbi, also pleaded not guilty and was released on $2,000 cash bail, according to the Globe.