Post by Helen Dagner on Oct 13, 2011 23:01:10 GMT -5
The federal government busted an online-prostitution ring that set up sex parties in metro Detroit, handed out bags filled with sex coupons, underwear and chocolates at these parties and gave away awards for the best sex services, according to a criminal complaint unsealed today in U.S. District Court.
The FBI learned about the operation after a concerned mother e-mailed authorities in 2007. She alerted them that her teenage daughter had become involved in the scheme, and feared other girls would, too, the complaint said.
Confidential informants, an electronic paper trail, and PayPal records eventually led the FBI to three men.
Charged with running the operation were: Steven Thompson of Southfield, David Kilvington and Mark LeBlanc. All hometowns and ages were not listed in the complaint.
According to the charging document, the three defendants ran prostitution-related Web sites that allowed customers and call girls to chat and meet on various escort boards. Customers also learned about scheduled “meet-and-greets” – parties where they would actually meet. The parties were held in public places across the state and in Windsor and drew crowds of at least 100 people who came to meet and arrange for sex afterward, the complaint said.
The operators charged cover at the door and required both the customers and prostitutes to give donations, ranging from $100 to $200 to attend the parties, the complaint said.
Such parties were held at the Shark Club in Canton, Royal Lanes in Warren and at Fairlane Bowl in Madison Heights, according to the complaint.
At the Fairlane Bowl party, which occurred on June 22, there was a $20 cover charge at the door, the complaint said. Inside, an escort named “Wicked Kittie” handed out gift bags for $10 each containing chocolates, a gold ticket, a black ticket, a green ticket, or a prostitute’s set of underwear, the complaint said.
According to the complaint:
The gold ticket was good for one, free, one-hour appointment with an escort.
A black or green ticket was worth one free 30-minute appointment.
The underwear had the prostitute’s name on it for the customer.
To elude authorities, the operators used code words on their Web sites, the complaint said.
For example:
“Hobby” meant sex acts.
“Donations” meant pay-for-access.
Members meant johns.
Service provider meant prostitute.
Business transaction meant negotiations for sex.
According to the complaint, the concerned mother’s e-mail was filed with the Oakland County Sherrif’s Office on March 19, 2007. The e-mail, which is on file in U.S. District Court, read:
“My 17-year-old daughter got involved with drugs and prostitution through an online escort bulletin board … She went to what they call a meet and greet last fall and met several men there who got her a job with a escort agency and also supplied her with drugs, both pot and meth. These meet and greets are held in public places with close to 100 people, and girls attending. There is a required donation by everyone and they meet the woman there and arrange for sex afterwards. …. She also had sex with these men many times, sometimes they paid her sometimes they did not. They are both in their 60s and she did not want to but she need(ed) the drugs and did not want to get into trouble. How can this go on?”
All three defendants made initial appearances in federal court in Detroit today.
Kilvington is temporarily being detained in a local jail pending a detention hearing, scheduled for Nov. 14. Thompson and LeBlanc were both released on bond.
Efforts to reach the defendants were unsuccessful.
They are all represented by a public defender, who also was unavailable
The FBI learned about the operation after a concerned mother e-mailed authorities in 2007. She alerted them that her teenage daughter had become involved in the scheme, and feared other girls would, too, the complaint said.
Confidential informants, an electronic paper trail, and PayPal records eventually led the FBI to three men.
Charged with running the operation were: Steven Thompson of Southfield, David Kilvington and Mark LeBlanc. All hometowns and ages were not listed in the complaint.
According to the charging document, the three defendants ran prostitution-related Web sites that allowed customers and call girls to chat and meet on various escort boards. Customers also learned about scheduled “meet-and-greets” – parties where they would actually meet. The parties were held in public places across the state and in Windsor and drew crowds of at least 100 people who came to meet and arrange for sex afterward, the complaint said.
The operators charged cover at the door and required both the customers and prostitutes to give donations, ranging from $100 to $200 to attend the parties, the complaint said.
Such parties were held at the Shark Club in Canton, Royal Lanes in Warren and at Fairlane Bowl in Madison Heights, according to the complaint.
At the Fairlane Bowl party, which occurred on June 22, there was a $20 cover charge at the door, the complaint said. Inside, an escort named “Wicked Kittie” handed out gift bags for $10 each containing chocolates, a gold ticket, a black ticket, a green ticket, or a prostitute’s set of underwear, the complaint said.
According to the complaint:
The gold ticket was good for one, free, one-hour appointment with an escort.
A black or green ticket was worth one free 30-minute appointment.
The underwear had the prostitute’s name on it for the customer.
To elude authorities, the operators used code words on their Web sites, the complaint said.
For example:
“Hobby” meant sex acts.
“Donations” meant pay-for-access.
Members meant johns.
Service provider meant prostitute.
Business transaction meant negotiations for sex.
According to the complaint, the concerned mother’s e-mail was filed with the Oakland County Sherrif’s Office on March 19, 2007. The e-mail, which is on file in U.S. District Court, read:
“My 17-year-old daughter got involved with drugs and prostitution through an online escort bulletin board … She went to what they call a meet and greet last fall and met several men there who got her a job with a escort agency and also supplied her with drugs, both pot and meth. These meet and greets are held in public places with close to 100 people, and girls attending. There is a required donation by everyone and they meet the woman there and arrange for sex afterwards. …. She also had sex with these men many times, sometimes they paid her sometimes they did not. They are both in their 60s and she did not want to but she need(ed) the drugs and did not want to get into trouble. How can this go on?”
All three defendants made initial appearances in federal court in Detroit today.
Kilvington is temporarily being detained in a local jail pending a detention hearing, scheduled for Nov. 14. Thompson and LeBlanc were both released on bond.
Efforts to reach the defendants were unsuccessful.
They are all represented by a public defender, who also was unavailable