Two prostitution stings in Wood County in more than two weeks net 18 arrests.
The latest undercover operation was in Northwood on Tuesday and it alone resulted in 12 arrests.
Northwood police say the Toledo area is a hotbed for prostitution.
Captain Jeff Zahradnik says with the new casino it's a growing problem.
Authorities arrested six people inside a Perrysburg Township hotel nearly three weeks ago in a prostitution sting.
Then on Tuesday undercover cops arrested 12 people in Northwood.
"It's frustrating that they're just not getting it," says Lt. Terry James with the Wood County Sheriff's Office.
Yesterday in Northwood marked the fourth prostitution sting Wood County Sheriff's deputies have been involved in in four months.
Lt. James says the jail time or fines, plus the public shaming, aren't stopping folks from making arrangements for some kind of sex for money.
"We put the pictures in the newspapers and on TV. But we continually arrest 6, 8, 12 people almost every month," says Lt. James.
On February 26th undercover officers waited inside a hotel room along Fremont Pike in Perrysburg Township. Officers had posted ads on the Internet.
They arrested Nagib Mahmud of Toledo, Dominique Burkes of Toledo, Renee Champion of Toledo, Jorge Ramos-Crus of Norwalk, James Nickles of Elmore, and Hiral Kholhal of Perrysburg.
Yesterday inside a hotel in Northwood undercover cops arrested 12 people. Two were arrested on drug charges, the other ten for soliciting prostitution.
The soliciting prostitution suspects include Amanda Bigelow of Toledo, Charles Yager of Maumee, Christopher Robosky of Findlay, Duane Stroud of Toledo, Jamie Slaughter of Toledo, Khaled Elabyad of Sylvania, Marcus Williams of Fremont, Phil Farina of Toledo, Tania Parker of Toledo, and Tiffany Dukett of Toledo.
"People wonder well, 'It's a victimless crime arresting the johns.' No, they're the ones that are ordering more or less the females. If we can stop that then there's no business there to be had," says Lt. James.
The suspects arrested in Northwood are due in court at the end of the month.
Captain Zahradnik says some of these people are married and asked that police withhold their identities. Officers informed them they do not honor that request.
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2013 WorldNow and WTVG. All Rights Reserved.
