When you can’t trust an escort, who can you trust? Read the sad story at Montana’s News Station…

Woman to be sentenced for blackmailing Bozeman developer

A woman who pleaded guilty to blackmailing a prominent Bozeman developer over an alleged prostitution ring under investigation by the FBI is scheduled for sentencing this week.

Shannon Clark, 36, of Bozeman told U.S. District Judge Justin Quackenbush that she had an affair with William Martel for four years, during which time he was financially generous, helping her pay rent and other bills. After Martel ended the relationship in June 2008, Clark threatened to tell the FBI about the money and sex unless he gave her $10,000 a month for six months.

Clark faces up to a year in prison, an additional year of supervision and up to $100,000 in fines when she is sentenced on September 17.

Clark’s attorney, Morgan Modine of Missoula, is seeking a probationary sentence, saying a friend of Clark’s who was working with the FBI encouraged Clark to ask Martel for money. That friend was also reportedly involved with Martel intimately after he broke off the affair with Clark.

Martel has never been charged. Federal officials would not say if the investigation into the prostitution ring continues.

Read the whole story at KFBB.com…

Gayle Morris Speaks Out On Alleged Prostitution Ring

The former of mayor of Great Falls is speaking out after being charged with felony promotion of prostitution. He faced the judge Friday, along with four other other employees of Really Windy’s Bar, the gentlemen’s club that Morris owns.

According to court documents, informants told authorities that Morris knew prostitution was going on at the bar. One informant states that Morris told her not to discuss prostitution on the floor, but rather to wait until in a private dance room, and that a good way to broach the subject of price was to tell them they could tip for the services provided.

Morris though denies those allegations. He says each dancer pays to use the facility for dancing, and that there’s a facility use form that specifically goes over Montana statutes against prostitution.

The former mayor also stated he’s never seen any illegal acts going on at Really Windy’s, and that he’s never received any money from illegal activities.

Morris adds, “People are making accusations against me. I don’t even know who they are. So it’s hard for me to respond to that, but I would like to know who they are and I’d like to have them tell me just exactly what was that process, and how much money did I get? And how much money did they get? And have they repeated all that to the IRS? And are they going to arrest them for prostitution if they step forward and give us all that information?”

Read all the details at The Great Falls Tribune…

Exotic dancers charged with prostitution
By ZACHARY FRANZ

At least two exotic dancers who performed at Really Windy’s Lounge outside Great Falls have been charged with prostitution, and newly released court documents suggest owner and former Great Falls Mayor Gayle Morris supervised a sex-for-money enterprise at the lounge.

A warrant authorizing a search of Really Windy’s in May accuses Morris by name.

“All of the evidence and statements support a finding that a prostitution business operated, owned, controlled, managed, supervised, or otherwise kept by (Gayle) Morris with the participation of the dancers and other staff (is) being run at Really Windy’s Lounge,” the warrant states.

Morris did not return messages left Wednesday evening at his home and at Really Windy’s, but told the Tribune after the May search that he was not aware of prostitution going on at the lounge.

Law enforcement officers from several agencies searched the lounge and questioned dancers on May 27, but made no arrests at the time. Officials did not release the search warrant for several weeks after that because it contained information that could have compromised the ongoing investigation, said Kory Larsen, a deputy county attorney.

Since the search, misdemeanor prostitution charges have been filed against two dancers.

According to the warrant, officers had been getting information over the past two years from informants, undercover officers and private citizens suggesting that prostitution was going on at Really Windy’s.

Read the whole story at The Billings Gazette…

Woman pleads guilty to blackmailing developer

A woman pleaded guilty Friday to blackmailing a prominent Bozeman developer over an alleged prostitution ring under investigation by the FBI.

Shannon Michelle Clark, a 36-year-old Bozeman resident, told U.S. District Judge Justin Quackenbush that she had a sexual relationship with William Martel for four years, during which time he paid her rent and some other bills with cash and business proceeds from his construction company, Martel Construction.

After Martel ended the relationship in June 2008, Clark threatened to tell the FBI about the money and sex unless he provided her with “severance pay” of $10,000 a month for six months.

“He asked me to lie to the FBI about our relationship being sexual,” Clark said.

Martel, who is the namesake of Bobcat Stadium’s Martel Field at Montana State University, knew he was under investigation and asked Clark to tell the FBI he helped her out financially because she was a “struggling single mother,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Racicot.

Racicot said in court the FBI was investigating “whether or not there was a prostitution ring operating in Bozeman and if William Martel was a client of that ring.” He also said the FBI has interviewed Martel, who is a Bozeman community leader.

Martel did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A look at how the industry is reacting to Craigslist working with law enforcement in its fight against escort services. Read the whole story at InternetNews.com…

Life After Craigslist for Online Sex Trade
By Kenneth Corbin

Craigslist made a splash last month when it announced a set of policy changes aimed at stamping out sex crimes facilitated through the Erotic Services section of its site. But sex workers and legal experts say the measures are likely to have scant impact on the shadowy world of online prostitution.

Following the initial report about the new policies, a reader who identified herself as a “working girl in San Francisco” told InternetNews.com that Craigslist is hardly the only game in town.

“Because of the new procedure on Craigslist, we are turning to other Web sites … to promote our services,” she wrote in an e-mail. “These sites are free and just as effective. I don’t believe that this change in Craigslist will do anything to affect the industry.”

The reader declined to be interviewed further for this report, but people on both sides of the war on prostitution agree that the multiplicity of adult-oriented sites on the Internet has made the policeman’s work considerably more complicated.

“It’s really just a function of today’s digital economy,” said Alex Southwell, an attorney with the law firm Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher and a former federal prosecutor. “The Internet’s ability to make illicit services available is really groundbreaking.”

“It’s a question of convenience,” Southwell told InternetNews.com. “It used to be for prostitution you would have to go to some shady corner of town at night. Now you can do it on the Internet.”

Some interesting analysis on Craigslist’s new found cooperation with law enforcement regarding the erotic services niche. Read the whole story at The Las Vegas Sun…

Hawking erotic services? Craigslist now has your number
By Abigail Goldman

Mahria is a “beautiful blonde” offering “erotic wrestling” for $100.

Dru is charging $80 for an hour of “sensual massage.”

Alicia can be at your door in half an hour.

These advertisements, which come with photos a family newspaper won’t print, are a small sample of what can be found in the “erotic services” section of Craigslist in Las Vegas — an online classified ads Web site that, aside from helping people find roommates or sell old lawn mowers, has become one of the most popular ways for Clark County escorts to peddle their wares to the electronic masses. It’s an Internet buffet of costly companionship, but perhaps not for long.

Just over two weeks ago, Craigslist began charging a fee to advertise on the site’s “erotic services” section. The fee is small — $5 — but the consequences are huge.

The fee must be paid with a credit card, and Craigslist will supply this credit card information to law enforcement officials, should they subpoena it. Erotic services advertisers must also provide a phone number, which an automated system will call before any posting is published online.

In short, Craigslist is working with the police.

Erotic services advertisements in the dozens of American cities Craigslist serves have fallen dramatically since Nov. 6, when the fee took effect, the company’s chief executive, Jim Buckmaster, told the Sun. On Monday in Las Vegas, that meant there were only 362 erotic services ads posted on Craigslist. The Monday before the traceable fees, there were more than 1,100 ads.

Is the party over for working girls on Craigslist? Read the whole story at SFGate.com…

Craigslist to crack down on prostitution ads

Under the watchful eye of law enforcement in 40 states, Craigslist pledged Thursday to crack down on ads for prostitution on its Web sites.

As part of Craigslist’s agreement with attorneys general around the country, anyone who posts an “erotic services” ad will be required to provide a working phone number and pay a fee with a valid credit card. The Web site will provide that information to law enforcement if subpoenaed.