Couple charged for sex crimes, prostitution website
A man and a woman from Trafford, PA have been charged with sex crimes for allegedly running their prostitution business through a website. The couple hosted men to pay for sex in Allegheny and Westmoreland Counties. The woman, 31, and her boyfriend, 30, were arrested last Friday after police secured a search warrant to search one of the homes. Upon inspection, police found mobile phones, empty bags with heroin residue, crack cocaine, marijuana, and other drug paraphernalia. Police say they began their investigation at the end of July / beginning of August after they received complaints from several neighbors about an unusual amount of vehicles parked in front of the couple’s home. The affidavit reads that the woman used an alias and advertised “erotic services” as “Pittsburgh Body Rub” on an unnamed website that is believed to Craig’s List or something similar. Phone records reveal that she referred to her boyfriend as the “pimp” in several text messages. In one text message, police say, the woman wrote “that just because she posted on an escort site doesn’t make me an escort…I have girls that work the dirty stuff.” She also admitted to doing topless massage in the text messages. Police say that before they raided the home, they stopped several men who were leaving the residence. Those men would admit to being “sexually serviced” by the woman during appointments that she arranged through website advertisements. Some men said she would send them picture of herself in lingerie along with a list of prices for services for first-time clients. The woman was arrested on ten counts of prostitution promotion, illegal possession, and possession of paraphernalia. Her bail was set at $15,000. She is currently out and awaiting trial. Her boyfriend has been charged with conspiracy, illegal possession, and possession of paraphernalia. He bail has been set at $10,000 and he remains in jail. Preliminary hearings are set for 24 October. If you have questions about sex crimes or prostitution, call Pittsburgh criminal defense attorney Gary Gerson at 412-219-6875 for a free consultation today. Source: TribLive.com, “Police: Trafford couple used website to advertise prostitution services” 14 October 2014