Kent Police arrested 11 men for investigation of patronizing a prostitute and impounded nine vehicles during a recent undercover sting at a local hotel.
Police placed an ad in the dating section of the website backpage.com with photos of a female dressed in lingerie, a phone number and an ad title of “Busty blonde babe,” according to the police report about the Jan. 20 sting at the Ramada Inn, 22318 84th Ave. S.
In one case, a man reportedly called the phone number, talked and texted with an undercover female officer to agree to pay for sex and that he would meet the woman at her hotel room. He allegedly agreed to pay $200 to the woman. When the man knocked on the hotel room door, officers inside answered with “Police, you’re under arrest!”
The hotel sits in a part of the city recognized by ordinance as an area of prostitution with posted signs that include information about impounding vehicles used to patronize a prostitute.
Thirteen law enforcement officers were assigned various roles during the sting operation to address the demand of sex trafficking.
“Patronizing a prostitute really adds to the problem of human trafficking,” said police spokesman Jarod Kasner in an email. “Also Kent is offering educational courses in conjunction with enforcement.”
Kasner said the arrested men came from cities across the state.
Anyone convicted of patronizing a prostitute can be assigned to attend a 10-week intervention program. A sentence can be up to one year in jail, a $1,500 fine and those convicted must pay fees to get their vehicles back. First-time offenders can pay up to $2,500 in fees and fines, according to police.
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