A report from WJTV in Jackson, Mississippi…

Prostitution Today

Prostitution has been around for centuries, but as law enforcement steps up efforts to get rid of the age-old sex trade, pimps and prostitutes are finding more sophisticated ways to cash-in.

It’s more than just the internet; they’re now involved in identity theft, robbery and drugs.

Earlier this month, News Channel 12 was invited to follow Hinds County Deputies as they busted a suspected prostitution house in Terry. During the sting, deputies confiscated $16,000 in cash, Valium, steroids and other drugs. The suspected pimp, 54-year-old James Little, is still on the loose. Deputies say he was running a motorcycle repair business as a front.

After decades of undercover stings, Major Nick Clark says prostitutes are turning to more unconventional methods, like the internet.

“They post their pictures, some of them are as explicit as anything I’ve ever seen,“ he said. “Advertising what they do, what they’re willing to do, how much they charge for it.“

Read more at The Sun Herald…

Sting targets escort service prostitutes
By Margaret Baker

An undercover investigation targeting prostitutes at South Mississippi businesses providing escort services has resulted in the arrests of nine people, including three men who happened to be in the vicinity of the bust when they were arrested on a misdemeanor drug charge.

Harrison County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Troy Peterson said the undercover sting targeted employees of South Mississippi escort agencies, though he did not want to identify the agencies allegedly involved because of an ongoing investigation. Peterson said the undercover probe was conducted at an undisclosed location.

“We’ve gotten complaints in the past about local prostitution in different areas in Harrison County and decided we were going to target some of the companies,” Peterson said.