On September 16, 2016, Lancaster City Police Department arrested ten men during a prostitution sting after an undercover female officer posed as a prostitute. One of the men arrested was an 82-year-old resident of Lancaster County.
All but one of the men were charged with criminal solicitation to patronize a prostitute (18 Pa.C.S. § 902): Jeremy Lauphian of Quarryville, Antolino Serrano of Lititz, David Graybill of Manheim, James Ranton, Jr. of East Hempfield Township, Carmelo Rodriguez of Willow Street, Jose Gracia-Ledesma of Lancaster Township, Michael Foley, Jr. of Lancaster Township, Joseph Centini of Manor Township, and Luis Martinez of Lancaster City.
In Pennsylvania, criminal solicitation to patronize a prostitute is a third degree misdemeanor punishable by a maximum of one year in jail (18 Pa.C.S. § 1104) and a fine of up to $2,500 (18 Pa.C.S. § 1101). Subsequent offenses are punishable by a maximum of five years in jail (18 Pa.C.S. § 1104) and a fine of up to $10,000 (18 Pa.C.S. § 1101).
The remaining arrested individual, Tommy Baker, a homeless man, was charged with obstruction of justice when he allegedly confronted the undercover officer during the sting. Baker was previously arrested on July 8, 2016 for allegedly attempting to solicit sex from the same undercover officer.
The CSE Institute commends the Lancaster City Police Department for continuing to go after the demand for commercial sex within its jurisdiction. The CSE Institute further encourages law enforcement throughout the Commonwealth to become familiar with Pennsylvania’s specific laws covering all aspects of prostitution. For every commercial sex transaction there is both a seller and a buyer, and it is imperative that buyers be held accountable for their offenses.