The 61-year-old Lowell man charged with sex-trafficking homeless drug addicts — plying them with heroin or fentanyl, and dropping them off to be pimped in the streets — has a “horrendous” criminal record and pleaded guilty to similar charges in 2012, prosecutors said.

Authorities say Harold Jack Lucas ran a prostitution ring that involved giving homeless women drugs, a place to stay, and food in exchange for all the money they made as prostitutes in Lowell, Lawrence and sometimes Atlantic City.

Lucas was arrested in January and charged with human trafficking, deriving support from prostitution and fentanyl possession. A judge in Lowell Superior Court held Lucas yesterday on $100,000 cash bail and ordered him to stay ?away from his alleged victims.

Assistant Attorney General Gina Kwon said witnesses told police Lucas took women from Lowell to Atlantic City. He limited how much they ate, dropped them in the streets, and picked them up in the morning — pocketing their earnings, prosecutors said.

“Lucas would ply them with drugs whenever they needed it — not necessarily in exchange for their work — all their money would go to Mr. Lucas,” Kwon said.

Police identified three women they said Lucas preyed on — two who worked for him as prostitutes and one who refused, Kwon said.

“Lucas has what I would say is one of the most horrendous records I have ever seen,” Kwon said. “It’s 22 pages long. He has been indicted numerous times — most notably he received a 3-year state prison sentence on deriving support (from prostitution) out of this court in 2012, meaning he would have just gotten out last year.”

In that case, Lucas pleaded guilty to running a prostitution ring out of his Ellsworth Street home in Lowell and assaulting three of the women when they tried to leave. Prosecutors said those women also were homeless addicts and he similarly offered them drugs, food and shelter in exchange for their earnings from the streets.

Lucas’ attorney, Kathleen Moore, admitted her client has “a very long record,” but in arguing for reduced bail said he is a lifelong resident of Lowell and is on Social Security Disability income.

Meanwhile, Gov. Charlie Baker and Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced new policies that explicitly prohibit state employees and contractors from engaging in human trafficking, including sex trafficking and forced labor — with plans to include “zero tolerance” policies in future city and state contracts.