Posted at: 01/10/2009 06:21:44 PM
Updated at: 01/12/2009 07:39:30 AM
By: Linzi Sheldon
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Suburban prostitution bust
 

Police have uncovered a Craig’s List kind of website where prostitutes are advertising, and it turns out they're doing business in the suburbs.

“We were targeting prostitution coming down from Monroe County into our community," Sergeant Dave Cirencione of the Ontario County Sheriffs Office said. "We had undercover officers in a motel room, posing as johns, customers for the prostitutes.”

They met them at the Microtel Motel in Victor. Police chose it randomly as the site for their undercover sting after receiving a tip about a website.

“They made phone calls to women who were advertising on a computer website to perform sexual acts for money. They made phone calls to these individuals to see if they would come down and meet at this motel and several of the females did come down," Sergeant Cirencione said.

Three women, Katie Simpson of Greece, Michelle Peterson and Tamika James of Rochester all face prostitution charges. Simpson is also charged for possession of cocaine.

Police also arrested James Turner of Fairport at the motel, and Larry Zubert of Henrietta at a traffic stop on County Road 42. Both men are charged with promoting prostitution.

News 10NBC stopped by the mens' homes Saturday. Turner lives in a Fairport apartment complex and neighbors said they didn't know him. Zubert lives near RIT.

“It’s not a shock. Prostitution is a crime. It’s very old, it's been around forever it occurs everywhere, and we know that,” Sergeant Cirencione said.

But Sergeant Cirencione said officers were surprised at how easy it was to get the prostitutes to come to Victor, and he said he wants to make sure they never come back.

“With prostitution usually come drug use, larcenies, criminal mischief and burglaries. Things like that and we just don’t want it and we want to send the message to these people. Don’t bring it here because we're not going to tolerate it,“ Sergeant Cirencione said. 

Police had surveillance cameras on the parking lot so that helped them nab those two men that were making money off the women. Police also arrested David McGovern of Rochester. He was in the car with Zubert at the time. McGovern was charged with possession of marijuana.

Police said the website the women advertised on contains dozens of other women who advertised to perform sexual acts for money, but they weren't organized in a ring or any kind of business. Police said it doesn't look any of the women who were arrested knew or worked with each other.

Larry ZubertJames Turner  

 

 



Katie SimpsonTamika JamesMichelle Peterson

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