26 Arrested in Stillwater Prostitution Sting

[Bunty]

Stillwater Police arrest 26 people in prostitution sting » Local News » Stillwater NewsPress

Mug shots and how charged were in the print edition of Saturday's Stillwater News Press.

[BBatesokc]

I have been covering it also with some additional information......

Stillwater Vice and OBNDD arrest 26 in sting; 5 pimps busted!

I also broke the news that.... Stillwater Executive Director of Kappa Kappa Psi & Tau Beta Sigma busted in prostitution sting

These stings and the resulting coverage are controversial - and I see both sides. However, its really the only way to know if any human trafficking activities are taking place and at least now these stings often result in some of the pimps being charged. In the past (2 years ago and beyond) you almost never saw any sort of pimping charges.

[BBatesokc]

Another notable arrest from this sting.....


Alleged pimp arrested in Stillwater last week charged with murder in ’09

[kevinpate]

Assuming it is the same chap, he was charged with murder, tried, and acquitted by a jury.
Not the typical end result for a murder trial in OK County ... nor elsewhere in the state for that matter.



on edit: haven't dropped by your site in a while. The upgrade looks much nicer than the look/feel I remember.

[BBatesokc]

Assuming it is the same chap, he was charged with murder, tried, and acquitted by a jury.
Not the typical end result for a murder trial in OK County ... nor elsewhere in the state for that matter.



on edit: haven't dropped by your site in a while. The upgrade looks much nicer than the look/feel I remember.

Actually, I'd say acquittal is not so rare in cases where a murder weapon is not found, there is no other physical evidence and your only witness willing to testify is related to the victim and a rival felon gang-member.

The more I watch trials the less stock I put in a jury's decision one way or the other unless the evidence is overwhelming.

As for my site - Thanks! It is what it is.... better than it was, not as good as I'd like it to be.

[Bunty]

Why Stillwater? Plenty of young college girls to recruit from?

[BBatesokc]

Why Stillwater? Plenty of young college girls to recruit from?

Most every decent size city police force has a 'Special Projects Unit' that handles a range of special investigations - like vice crimes.

They simply worked with the OBNDD and conducted their own sting.

The trend the last few years has been a huge surge in the number of prostitutes that now work online. Many of the girls busted in Stillwater actually drove their from OKC and Tulsa. Most likely through Backpage ads. With fewer girls on the streets and more online the prices have been driven down, causing men who previously couldn't afford a girl online to now find them very affordable.

Pretty much like shooting fish in a barrel for law enforcement.

[Bunty]

This week, 6 more people were arrested over prostitution related charges: Six more charged in Stillwater prostitution sting » Local News » Stillwater NewsPress

And one more person, who's from Oklahoma City: Oklahoma City man charged with soliciting » Local News » Stillwater NewsPress

[BBatesokc]

This week, 6 more people were arrested over prostitution related charges: Six more charged in Stillwater prostitution sting » Local News » Stillwater NewsPress

And one more person, who's from Oklahoma City: Oklahoma City man charged with soliciting » Local News » Stillwater NewsPress

All those people were arrested in the initial sting that nabbed 26. They are just now starting to formally charge them.

Interesting that several of the women initially arrested (and forced to post bond) were based on FELONY computer crimes charges - however, the formal charge is now just misdemeanor prostitution. That's a big difference in charges and bond requirements, etc.

There are some other notable characters that have yet to be publicly identified (as to their profession) that were arrested. One guy is a well known (in certain circles) pit crew member and motocross participant. Another is a soccer mom type that owned a fairly popular hair salon in Tulsa.

[MustangGT]

Glad to see that being cleaned up in Stillwater. None of the arrestees were "forced" to post bond they have the option of sitting in jail till trial. The filing of computer crime charges is becoming more and more common. If any part of the transaction happened on or thru a computer I say charge them. Maybe then they might see some serious periods of incarceration, since just ticketing and bonding out seems not to work as a significant deterrent.

[Bunty]

Glad to see that being cleaned up in Stillwater. None of the arrestees were "forced" to post bond they have the option of sitting in jail till trial. The filing of computer crime charges is becoming more and more common. If any part of the transaction happened on or thru a computer I say charge them. Maybe then they might see some serious periods of incarceration, since just ticketing and bonding out seems not to work as a significant deterrent.

Yeah, some guys need to go to charm school, or something and find out how they can get have more luck in getting sex for free, but not to the point of sexual harassment. I don't know what prostitutes need to do, unless it's to get married to the guys who have been to charm school. Or simply move on with their lives by quitting prostitution.

I don't see the point of sending people to prison over simple prostitution, unless there is a victim complaining he or she was hurt in some way. So just fine the offenders of prostitution, like you do for other crimes, like speeding, where there is no obvious victim.

[Bunty]

Most every decent size city police force has a 'Special Projects Unit' that handles a range of special investigations - like vice crimes.

They simply worked with the OBNDD and conducted their own sting.

The trend the last few years has been a huge surge in the number of prostitutes that now work online. Many of the girls busted in Stillwater actually drove their from OKC and Tulsa. Most likely through Backpage ads. With fewer girls on the streets and more online the prices have been driven down, causing men who previously couldn't afford a girl online to now find them very affordable.

Pretty much like shooting fish in a barrel for law enforcement.

But why bother driving to Stillwater for business since it has far LESS people, thus far fewer customers than Oklahoma City and Tulsa? They wrongly assumed they never bust for prostitution in the little towns, so they'll be safe there?

[kevinpate]

But why bother driving to Stillwater for business since it has far LESS people, thus far fewer customers than Oklahoma City and Tulsa?

Bunty, they go to Stillwater for the same reasons bank robbers rob banks .. it's where the money is at that time. If someone in OKC is running a computer based hooking for profit ad, they can by pass a request and the dough from Stillwater and hope one comes in from the Skirvin, or (shudder) even the Sands later that eve, or they can jump to Stillwater (not that far) take a bit of biz (face it, not that much time is involved for many), and roll back to OKC. Unless someone had a following of regulars to a point of booking appointments to a schedule, they bounce what wants to be bounced when it can.

[Bunty]

Bunty, they go to Stillwater for the same reasons bank robbers rob banks .. it's where the money is at that time. If someone in OKC is running a computer based hooking for profit ad, they can by pass a request and the dough from Stillwater and hope one comes in from the Skirvin, or (shudder) even the Sands later that eve, or they can jump to Stillwater (not that far) take a bit of biz (face it, not that much time is involved for many), and roll back to OKC. Unless someone had a following of regulars to a point of booking appointments to a schedule, they bounce what wants to be bounced when it can.

So to listen to you, don't underestimate the need that people in small town Oklahoma have for whores.

[kevinpate]

So to listen to you, don't underestimate the need that people in small town Oklahoma have for whores.

Missed my point Bunty. Don't underestimate the need for a working girl to bring in X amount of funds, per night (or day), lest she get slapped around. or worse, for being a lazy ho and not taking care of her pimps's daily cash flow. A girl skips a trick because it's out of town, and then just sits .. can be painful. Because if the computer doesn't ding or the phone doesn't ring, she doesn't earn and that's her pimp's money she decided to throw away.

Difference in the working girl situation and others who work on commission: missing your target earnings can bring along some severe pain and also forking over everything earned until you have caught back up in the pimp's mind. And that's if you're a good earner. Bad earner might be shipped off to someone else, or worse.

[BBatesokc]

None of the arrestees were "forced" to post bond they have the option of sitting in jail till trial.

Actually, that would never happen (sit in jail until trial). After 1-3 days they'd stand before a judge and they'd be given an OR bond (get out of jail free card). Happens all the time. The county isn't going to pay to have someone sit in jail for months or even up to two years on a crime such as this.

My point was that (using Oklahoma County as an example because I know their bond schedule), had they been booked into jail on the misdemeanor charge they were ultimately charged with their bond would have only been $500 at most - that's as little as $50 to a bondsman (though many require $150 minimum).

The felony plus misdemeanor charge they were booked in would have been in the order of a $2,500-$5000 bond (depending on the county).

However, in Oklahoma County, if you post bond then you don't qualify for a public defender.

The filing of computer crime charges is becoming more and more common.

I agree - and I agree with it. That's why I find it odd many of these girls were arrested on the computer crimes complaint, but not ultimately charged with it.

I think they should charge them with the felony and then allow them to plead down.

Maybe then they might see some serious periods of incarceration

Even in Oklahoma County, the ones charged with the felony virtually never are convicted of it (via plea bargain), and if they do plead guilty to it, they rarely get jail and if they do its because of a long page 2 of priors.

Personally, I'm not for turning these women into felons if their business was being kept 100% behind closed doors.

But why bother driving to Stillwater for business since it has far LESS people, thus far fewer customers than Oklahoma City and Tulsa? They wrongly assumed they never bust for prostitution in the little towns, so they'll be safe there?

Couple of reasons. One, they go where the money is. Two, many girls feel there is far less likelihood of getting busted in a smaller town that does not have a dedicated vice unit like Oklahoma County does. Plus, obviously they run a smaller risk of actually being charged with the felony computer crime.

[BBatesokc]

Also, I know several of these women. Do not believe when authorities say none of the girls claimed to be forced that, that is the truth in each case.

A couple of these women belong to (literally) a very violent pimp in OKC.

It is very rare for a woman being forced to prostitute to trust the people who just put her in handcuffs enough to tell them she is a victim. This is one reason No Boundaries is trying to get approval to ride along and do assessments on each girl arrested.