24 Suspects Arrested And Charged In Newport News Prostitution Sting

Newport News police arrested and charged 24 men and women last weekend in connection with a prostitution sting operation. One of the individuals arrested was a 17-year-old minor female. Most of the suspects were from Hampton Roads and the surrounding areas in Virginia. Three of the suspects were reportedly from outside of the Commonwealth from states such as Arizona, Tennessee and New York.

According to Newport News police, detectives were able to contact the suspects through a website called “Backpage” to arrange meet-ups in a nearby apartment building. Once the suspects arrived, an under-cover officer would discuss the exchange of illegal services for money. The suspects were arrested once they agreed to participate in the illegal transaction.

A similar sting operation took place last month, which resulted in the arrests of ten individuals involved in illegal prostitution activities. Under-cover officers from Hampton Roads contacted numerous individuals who had placed advertisements on the popular website “Craigslist” for adult services. Once the detective and the suspects agreed upon the terms of an illicit exchange for cash, the suspects were taken into custody.