On September 27, 2018, the Norristown Police Department arrested five people allegedly involved in a prostitution ring. Roberto Carlos Garcia, 31 of Norristown, Pennsylvania, and Domingo Ruiz, 69 of Brooklyn, New York, were each charged with one count of corrupt organizations (a first degree felony); one count of promoting prostitution by keeping a house of prostitution (a third degree felony); one count of promoting prostitution (a third degree misdemeanor); and, one count of criminal use of communication facility (a third degree felony). Juan Malpica-Morales, 32 of Brooklyn, New York, was charged with one count of corrupt organizations (a first degree felony); one count of promoting prostitution by keeping a house of prostitution (a third degree felony); one count of criminal conspiracy engaging in the promotion of prostitution (a third degree misdemeanor); and one count of criminal use of communication facility (a third degree felony).
According to Times Herald, the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General’s Organized Crime Unit began investigating this case after they were informed of potential prostitution occurring in a house located on the 200 block of West Spruce Street in Norristown. In response, investigators used a confidential informant famillar with the area who discovered that young Hispanic women were being transported to the home in Norristown from New York in order to engage in commercial sex.
By September, the operation had allegedly moved to the 300 block of East Penn Street due to increased police surveillance on the original property. Later that month, investigators had their informant call and arrange to have a prostituted person come to a room they had rented at a local motel. After she arrived and allegedly offered to engage in sex acts in exchange for $100, she and the man that drove her to the hotel – Domingo Ruiz – were arrested. Ruiz allegedly told investigators that he was recruited by an unknown man several weeks prior to work as a driver for the ring. He allegedly received a $130 per diem for driving and arranging meet-ups between prostituted persons and sex buyers.
One of the prostituted women, 22 of Queens, New York, was charged with one count of corrupt organizations (a first degree felony); two counts of promoting prostitution (a third degree misdemeanor); and one count of criminal use of communication facility (a third degree felony). The other woman, also 22 and from Queens, was charged with one count of corrupt organizations (a first degree felony); one count of promoting prostitution (a third degree misdemeanor); one count of criminal conspiracy engaging in the promotion of prostitution (a third degree misdemeanor); and one count of criminal use of communication facility (a third degree felony).
According to Times Herald, the two prostituted women arrested allegedly told investigators they owe a coyotaje – someone who smuggles people across the U.S.-Mexican border – $7,000 and $8,000, respectively. One woman explained that Ruiz would collect the money she received from sex buyers as payment, likely as a form of debt bondage commonly found in trafficking situations that occurs when a person is forced to work to pay off a debt. If these reported facts are accurate, it would be appropriate to utilize Section 3012 of the Pennsylvania Crime Code, which lists debt corercion as “means of subjecting an individual to involuntary servitude.”
The CSE Institute applauds the Norristown Police Department and the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General’s Organized Crime Unit for shutting down this commercial sex ring. However, we are concerned that the two prostituted women in this case may have been coerced into sexual servitude through force, fraud, and coercion, which would make them victims – not criminals. Cases such as this illustrate why we advocate for the Nordic Model, which criminalizes those who buy and sell persons for sex, while providing vital social services instead of criminal penalties for those being exploited.
We would also like to see The Times Herald become more socially conscious when reporting on instances of commercial sexual exploitation. We suggest the newsource refrain from mentioning the names of sexually exploited individuals, as they are victims of sexual violence. Next, we implore The Times Herald to begin using terms like “sex buyer” or “sex purchaser” when referring to people who buy sex, as it is a more accurate descriptor than “john”. Finally, we suggest using the term “prostituted person” instead of “alleged prostitute” when referring to those who are exploited for the sexual and financial gratification of others. Using the appropriate language to describe commercial sexual exploitation is an important step in educationg the public and switching the harmful narrative that prostitution is a “vicmtimless crime”.
Bail in this case was set for $75,000 for Carlos Garcia, Ruiz, and the two prostituted women. All are being held at Montgomery County Prison. Malpica-Morales’s case remains inactive. Finally, we hope the appointed defense attorneys will connect the women to attorney’s with expertise in immigration remedies for crime victims. Cooperative victims of serious crimes and vitcims of human trafficking are potentially eligible for special immigration support in the form of T and U Visas. We will continue to provide updates as more details arise.
All views expressed herein are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law or Villanova University.