Items written by Shea Rhodes

• Undercover Stings Reveal Continued Human Trafficking Presence in Northampton Spas

  Date: December 5, 2019

  On November 14, 2019, police discovered that two women, one at Kim’s Spa in Lower Nazareth Township and one at New Green Spa in Nazareth, allegedly offered and negotiated commercial sex with undercover law enforcement officers. These discoveries, made after … Read more about Undercover Stings Reveal Continued Human Trafficking Presence in Northampton Spas »

• Two NJ Traffickers Finally Convicted Of Sex Trafficking In Several PA Counties

  Date: November 22, 2019

  On November 14, 2019, a jury convicted New Jersey natives Kenneth James Crowell, 34, and Barry C. “Bear” Schiff, 50,on multiple counts of trafficking in individuals and running an organized criminal organization.  Other counts included involuntary servitude, criminal conspiracy, and … Read more about Two NJ Traffickers Finally Convicted Of Sex Trafficking In Several PA Counties »

• Two Women Arrested for Prostitution at Phoenixville Massage Parlor

  Date: November 22, 2019

  According to Mercury News, police charged two women, ages 27 and 48, for prostitution at a illicit massage business in Phoenixville. The arrests were made following a weeks-long investigation during which undercover detectives were allegedly offered sexual services on multiple … Read more about Two Women Arrested for Prostitution at Phoenixville Massage Parlor »

• Woman Arrested for Prostitution in FBI “Crack Down” in Butler County

  Date: November 19, 2019

  On October 24, 2019, undercover FBI agents working with the Cranberry Township police department arrested a 59-year-old woman at a hotel in Cranberry Township in an effort to “crack down” on prostitution in Butler County. The arrest of this woman … Read more about Woman Arrested for Prostitution in FBI “Crack Down” in Butler County »

• Massage Parlor Owner Arrested for Offering Sexual Services in Washington County

  Date: November 18, 2019

  According to WPIX News, the owner of two illicit massage parlors in South Hills was arrested for allegedly offering sexual services to customers.  The fifty-year-old female owner, Feng Yu Sun, was arrested after a year-long investigation conducted by police into … Read more about Massage Parlor Owner Arrested for Offering Sexual Services in Washington County »

• Two Face Prostitution Charges in Centre County

  Date: November 5, 2019

  On October 17, 2019, the Centre County police arrested a young woman alongside 41-year-old Edward Lewis, of Newark, New Jersey, for prostitution-related offenses resulting from a joint Patton Township, Ferguson Township, and State College police investigation. According to media reports, … Read more about Two Face Prostitution Charges in Centre County »

• “Hustlers” film glamorizes commercial sex industry

  Date: November 4, 2019

  “Hustlers” premiered in theaters September 13th, 2019. The movie, inspired by a New York Magazine article by Jessica Pressler, is based on the actions of former strip club employees who devised a scheme after the 2008 recession to drug and … Read more about “Hustlers” film glamorizes commercial sex industry »

• Sex Buyer Rendezvous with Monroe County Detective Ends in Arrest

  Date: October 22, 2019

  On Tuesday, October 15, 2019, the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office reported that Joseph Ortiz, 27, of Brooklyn, New York was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor count of patronizing a prostitute.  Ortiz will appear for his preliminary hearing before … Read more about Sex Buyer Rendezvous with Monroe County Detective Ends in Arrest »

• Pittsburgh Pirates’ Player, Felipe Vázquez, Arrested on Felony Child Sexual Abuse Charges in Florida and Pennsylvania

  Date: October 2, 2019

  On Tuesday September 17, 2019, 28-year-old Pittsburgh Pirates’ player Felipe Vázquez was arrested and charged with one count of computer pornography-solicitation of a child and one count of providing obscene material to minors, according to a statement released by the … Read more about Pittsburgh Pirates’ Player, Felipe Vázquez, Arrested on Felony Child Sexual Abuse Charges in Florida and Pennsylvania »

• Monroe County Man Pleads Guilty in Sex Trafficking Case

  Date: September 6, 2019

  On August 29, 2019, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that William Battle, 28, of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, pled guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force and coercion.  Battle will … Read more about Monroe County Man Pleads Guilty in Sex Trafficking Case »