2 Ohio truckers charged with solicitation

[LadyGardenSnake]

Truck stops along Middlesex Township's "Miracle Mile" were packed with rigs Tuesday night as truckers tried to get home for the holidays.

But two drivers may not make it in time after they solicited a woman they thought was a prostitute, police in Middlesex Township say.

Undercover operatives for Cumberland County's task force against prostitution arrested the men after they offered an agent posing as a prostitute money for sexual acts, police say.

They were the 16th and 17th arrests at the Route 11 truck stops since the force began stings along the strip of highway that connects the Pennsylvania Turnpike and Interstate 81.

District Attorney Skip Ebert launched the initiative against the crime in September. The crackdown is a response in part to the murder of two prostitutes and an attack on a third in this region in the past three years.

Ask about bra size, teeth

The undercover operative flirted on a citizens' band radio for a few minutes Tuesday night, asking, "Anyone looking for company?"



Chatter instantly flooded the CB, with drivers asking what she looks like, what her bra size is and how many teeth she's missing.

Only one man got on the radio to ward off other drivers, warning, "She's not saying much about herself ... she might be undercover."

Drivers on another channel decided the agent "sounds cute," making offers until she finally had to ask them to slow down and stop fighting over her.

The woman walked across a truck stop parking lot, appearing to be alone, when an Ohio trucker told her where to find his rig at 9:10 p.m.

He waved as she passed him, then she stood at his window to talk.

"What do you want?" she asked.

He said he wanted oral sex, offering her $20, police say.

Agents close in

Then a swarm of undercover agents closed in on his truck. Middlesex Police Chief Barry Sherman - the only team member with a commercial driver's license - got behind the wheel of the rig, loaded with brand new cars, and drove it to the township police station.

Brian Naegel, 48, of Grove City, was then charged with soliciting prostitution and taken to be arraigned.

Minutes after the arrest, the operative was back on the CB, again stating she was looking for company. Truckers responded instantly, asking which truck stop she was at and how much she was charging for her "services."

"I won't discuss that over the radio," the operative said. "Where you parked?"

She eventually walked across a truck stop parking lot in search of a red Freightliner. She was alone, but undercover operatives followed close behind.

At 10 p.m., a Toledo, Ohio, truck driver waved at the agent and she stepped onto the running board of his driver's side door as the two talked about prices for sex, police say.

The agent said sex would cost him between $75 and $100, but the man said he only had $50, allegedly showing her the cash.

She told him that was enough for another sex act and he allegedly said he would take whatever his money would buy.

Worried about cops

He explained he needed to be cautious because he feared police would catch them, then he saw the undercover officers approaching and said, "Look, there's a bunch of them now. They're cops, aren't they?"

Middlesex police and detectives from the DA's office again swarmed the vehicle and arrested Michael Tompkins, 46, charging him with soliciting prostitution. His vehicle also was removed and he was taken to be arraigned.

As soon as the agent got back on the CB, more drivers were making offers and calling for her by her handle name.

Listening to another CB nearby, the county's Chief Detective Les Freehling shook his head.

"They never learn," he said.

Both Tompkins and Naegel were remanded to Cumberland County Prison on $10,000 bail and preliminary hearings for both men have been scheduled for Dec. 1 before District Justice Susan Day.

[MetaMan]

STFU AND STOP POSTING SO MANY NEWS THREADS.

[drctfiesta]

Originally posted by MetaMan
STFU AND STOP POSTING SO MANY NEWS THREADS.

JUST IGNORE THAT FUCKING TROLL