NORTHWEST ARKANSAS — Bentonville’s finest now have arrested 11 men in a prostitution sting-by using an online service. The internet, it turns out, can be quite an aid to law enforcement.
All those arrested wound up charged with solicitation, and had their names made public. We hasten to add that no one has been convicted of anything at this point. But one suspect has already been fired from his job as a student pastor for a prominent church in Rogers. These charges can have repercussions beyond just embarrassment.
James Allen, chief of police in Bentonville, says that when it comes to prostitution, his department has been an equal-opportunity enforcer, havingalso undertaken operations aimed at pimps and prostitutes, not just johns.
If convicted of this Class B misdemeanor, the accused face a possible jail sentence of not more than 90 days, a fine of not more than $500, or both.
Last May, the police in Bentonville arrested a 27-year-old man who is accused of using the internet to recruit women as prostitutes for his “escort service.”
These arrests should send a clear message to anybody who thinks he can safely use the internet to obtain the services of a prostitute: Don’t. Not in these well-policed parts, friend. Unless you’d like a date with a Benton County jail cell.
Editorial, Pages 10 on 08/19/2010