Police in Orlando today arrested three employees of the Orlando Weekly on charges of aiding and abetting prostitution. The three worked in the paper’s classified section.  Police say they were helping the city’s escorts and massages parlors write coded ads to attract johns while escaping detection from police.

http://www.reason.com/blog/show/123107.html

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Radley Balko | October 19, 2007, 3:25pm

Police in Orlando today arrested three employees of the Orlando Weekly on charges of aiding and abetting prostitution. The three worked in the paper’s classified section.  Police say they were helping the city’s escorts and massages parlors write coded ads to attract johns while escaping detection from police.

More:

“The prostitution problem has been growing here in recent years because Orlando Weekly is providing space for these kinds of criminal enterprises,” MBI director Bill Lutz said. “We did send them letters and that worked at the time, but this time, they told us to go pound sand.”

As part of Operation Weekly Shame, two female agents went undercover and presented themselves as prostitutes to at least two of the Weekly’s advertisers, Lutz said. They made it clear that the ads were for promoting their prostitution businesses.

Sgt. Paul Zambouros, a deputy who heads the MBI’s vice unit, in June sent a letter to the Don Farley, publisher of Times-Shamrock Communications Alternative Newsweekly Group – which publishes the Orlando Weekly - asking that the Adult Services and Certified Massage sections be eliminated from the newspaper.

Zambouros said the newspaper was benefiting from the prostitution ads.

The paper itself was put on notice that it’s being investigated for racketeering for running the ads. The same police department is also hinting that it may next go after Craigslist.

Incidentally, 2006 was the bloodiest year in Orlando’s history. The city recorded more murders than Miami, a city twice its size. Putting the obvious First Amendment issues aside, you can’t help but wonder why in light of the violence going on in the city Orlando’s police department would find it necessary to spend the money on a two-year investigation into ads for happy ending massage parlors in local newspapers.

For once I agree with you.  Regulating the oldest profession has worked in Nevada for years.  Decreased STD’s, taxes paid and health benefits for sex workers are just a few pluses.  I knew many guys who would rather take the drive to a bordello and spend the $100 up front, with the lady of their choice, and the options of their choice, than to drop more than that on “dinner and a movie” for the possibility of mattress polo, and all the baggage that goes with it.

gopher T - 21 October 2007 11:43 AM

For once I agree with you.  Regulating the oldest profession has worked in Nevada for years.  Decreased STD’s, taxes paid and health benefits for sex workers are just a few pluses.  I knew many guys who would rather take the drive to a bordello and spend the $100 up front, with the lady of their choice, and the options of their choice, than to drop more than that on “dinner and a movie” for the possibility of mattress polo, and all the baggage that goes with it.

The article is more about over-regulation of advertising and mis-allocation of much needed police resources.

Root cause

GOPHER makes a couple of astute comments about the absurdity of criminalizing sexual choices of consenting adults.

STUKA aptly notes that it’s part of a bigger societal challenge - that of wasting literally billions in public tax dollars to pay police to accomplish absolutely nothing for increased community health and safety.

Whether it be sexual choices, ingestion choices or entertainment choices - we suffer when otherwise law-abiding adult Americans are given criminal records for choosing to engage in adult consensual behaviors.

http://www.orlandoweekly.com/
Here’s the link to Orlando Weekly, which is still running “adult services, “certified massage”
and “phone entertainment” ads.

THE MBI HAS ARRESTED THREE OF OUR EMPLOYEES

This afternoon, three of our personnel were arrested by the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, on charges related to our publication of adult services advertisements.

At this time, we have no official comment on this matter. However, as the situation unfolds, we will keep you all updated.

You can read the Orlando Sentinel report here.

Watch this blog for updates.

Here is the article they refer their readers to:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/orl-bk-weeklyarrest101907,0,2397550.story?track=rss

Workers said they had been told not to discuss the matter. At least one executive from the newspaper avoided reporters before hotel security asked media to leave the private building.

Attorney Steve Mason, who represents the Orlando Weekly and Orlando-area adult entertainment businesses, said he tried contacting the MBI today about the arrests but has not heard back from law-enforcement officials at the agency.

“I wanted to let them know that if there were any other outstanding warrants for Orlando Weekly personnel, please let me know,” Mason said in a phone interview. “I would streamline the process and I would make every effort to have those people surrender themselves.”

I NEED TO CLEAR SOMETHING UP

We’ve written a lot about Steve Mason, and the Sentinel’s story listed him as “Orlando Weekly’s attorney” in today’s paper. That could give the impression that he’s been our attorney for a long time, and presents a huge conflict of interest. So here are the facts related to that situation.

Steve had never done any OW related work until yesterday afternoon. I was on the phone with him when I found out about the arrests, when at the same time the publisher called me to ask me if I had any local attorneys who could help us out. So I put Steve, who knows the MBI’s tactics better than anyone, in touch with Rick. I do not know if OW has put Steve on retainer for this case. I know there have been talks to that end, but that decision-making is above my pay grade. But Steve was trying yesterday to help us figure out what was going on, and as such he did talk to the MBI and the media on our behalf.

What’s going on?  Let’s see, your newspaper is designing ads that are advertising criminal activities. 

http://www.prostitutionresearch.com/laws/000022.html

10 Reasons for Not Legalizing Prostitution

10 Reasons for Not Legalizing Prostitution
by Janice G. Raymond
Coalition Against Trafficking in Women International (CATW)
March 25, 2003

SUMMARY
The following arguments apply to all state-sponsored forms of prostitution,
including but not limited to full-scale legalization of brothels and
pimping, decriminalization of the sex industry, regulating prostitution
by laws such as registering or mandating health checks for women in prostitution,
or any system in which prostitution is recognized as sex work or advocated
as an employment choice.

As countries are considering legalizing and decriminalizing the sex industry,
we urge you to consider the ways in which legitimating prostitution as
work does not empower the women in prostitution but does everything to
strengthen the sex industry.

10. Women in systems of prostitution do not want the sex industry
legalized or decriminalized.

In a 5-country study on sex trafficking done by the Coalition Against
Trafficking in Women and funded by the Ford Foundation, most of the 146
women interviewed strongly stated that prostitution should not be legalized
and considered legitimate work, warning that legalization would create
more risks and harm for women from already violent customer and pimps
(Raymond et al, 2002). “No way. It’s not a profession. It is humiliating
and violence from the men’s side. Not one woman interviewed wanted her
children, family or friends to have to earn money by entering the sex
industry. One stated: Prostitution stripped me of my life, my health,
everything.

http://www.nostatusquo.com/ACLU/dworkin/MichLawJourI.html
Prostitution and Male Supremacy

"SL”: Let’s see, your newspaper is designing ads that are advertising criminal activities. 

SH: Allegedly and not yet proven.  Thus the crux of the Orlando Weekly defense in criminal court, should the case proceed that far.

SUMMARY
The following arguments apply to all state-sponsored forms of prostitution,
including but not limited to full-scale legalization of brothels and
pimping, decriminalization of the sex industry, regulating prostitution
by laws such as registering or mandating health checks for women in prostitution,
or any system in which prostitution is recognized as sex work or advocated
as an employment choice.

As countries are considering legalizing and decriminalizing the sex industry,
we urge you to consider the ways in which legitimating prostitution as
work does not empower the women in prostitution but does everything to
strengthen the sex industry.

10. Women in systems of prostitution do not want the sex industry
legalized or decriminalized.

In a 5-country study on sex trafficking done by the Coalition Against
Trafficking in Women and funded by the Ford Foundation, most of the 146
women interviewed strongly stated that prostitution should not be legalized
and considered legitimate work, warning that legalization would create
more risks and harm for women from already violent customer and pimps
(Raymond et al, 2002). “No way. It’s not a profession. It is humiliating
and violence from the men’s side. Not one woman interviewed wanted her
children, family or friends to have to earn money by entering the sex
industry. One stated: Prostitution stripped me of my life, my health,
everything.

http://www.nostatusquo.com/ACLU/dworkin/MichLawJourI.html
Prostitution and Male Supremacy

So legalize AND REGULATE prostitution, and pot.  The Girls get protection, and the pot turns the violent johns into lazy couch potatoes…

I agree with this too. This might sound awful to sound people but at the end of the day, at least everyone’s getting something.

Regards,
Louie
prêts travaux

SteveInClearwater - 21 October 2007 01:12 AM

Police in Orlando today arrested three employees of the Orlando Weekly on charges of aiding and abetting prostitution. The three worked in the paper’s classified section.  Police say they were helping the city’s escorts and massages parlors write coded ads to attract johns while escaping detection from police.


http://www.reason.com/blog/show/123107.html

MORE


More AlternaWeekly Blues

Radley Balko | October 19, 2007, 3:25pm

Police in Orlando today arrested three employees of the Orlando Weekly on charges of aiding and abetting prostitution. The three worked in the paper’s classified section.  Police say they were helping the city’s escorts and massages parlors write coded ads to attract johns while escaping detection from police.

More:

“The prostitution problem has been growing here in recent years because Orlando Weekly is providing space for these kinds of criminal enterprises,” MBI director Bill Lutz said. “We did send them letters and that worked at the time, but this time, they told us to go pound sand.”

As part of Operation Weekly Shame, two female agents went undercover and presented themselves as prostitutes to at least two of the Weekly’s advertisers, Lutz said. They made it clear that the ads were for promoting their prostitution businesses.

Sgt. Paul Zambouros, a deputy who heads the MBI’s vice unit, in June sent a letter to the Don Farley, publisher of Times-Shamrock Communications Alternative Newsweekly Group – which publishes the Orlando Weekly - asking that the Adult Services and Certified Massage sections be eliminated from the newspaper.

Zambouros said the newspaper was benefiting from the prostitution ads.

The paper itself was put on notice that it’s being investigated for racketeering for running the ads. The same police department is also hinting that it may next go after Craigslist.

Incidentally, 2006 was the bloodiest year in Orlando’s history. The city recorded more murders than Miami, a city twice its size. Putting the obvious First Amendment issues aside, you can’t help but wonder why in light of the violence going on in the city Orlando’s police department would find it necessary to spend the money on a two-year investigation into ads for happy ending massage parlors in local newspapers.

http://www.pageflakes.com/dseigler2/