Charges have been filed against seven men who were arrested March 26 for solicitation of prostitution.
One count each of patronizing a prostitute was filed against Gilberto Juan Zacarias, 18, address unknown; Thomas P. Mendoza, 27, address unknown; Norman Charles Marsh, 63, address unknown; Cody J. Looper, 21, Silverdale; Vitalino Santos Funes, 35, Bremerton; Kelsey Jerel Edgar, 36, Port Townsend; and Dustin Wayner Crawford, 40, Suquamish.
All suspects were booked into the Kitsap County Jail on March 25 and bail was set at $10,000. The arrests occurred during several hours at a Port Orchard motel.
Kitsap County Sheriff’s detectives, with assistance from area law enforcement agencies, arrested the men during an emphasis conducted March 25 in Port Orchard, according to a news release.
The arrests were part of the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office continuing effort to battle the ever present issue of human trafficking.
“We are going to continue targeting human trafficking in Kitsap County and will hold perpetrators accountable for their involvement,” Detective Lt. Earl Smith said. “If it wasn’t law enforcement there, who would it be? It could be a 15-year-old child and an adult. Because we are here, another person is not being victimized.”
Past multi-jurisdictional teams have conducted emphasis patrols that targeted the “supply” or prostitutes themselves and their “pimps” or handlers. In the emphasis conducted, the target was the “demand” or customer s(commonly referred to as “johns”), who are perpetuating the human trafficking by purchasing the services.
According to KOMONews.com, KCSO rented three rooms in a motel where detectives conducted the operation that targeted customers.
Undercover detectives posted ads on backpage.com and Craigslist the day before the operation and arranged the dates through text messages.
Detectives said men began replying to the ads within three minutes of the posts, KOMO reported.
The Internet ad — posted on Tacoma backpage.com under female escorts — included a phone number, prices and two images. The phone numbers were manned by undercover detectives who exchanged text messages with potential “johns” as the suspects arranged “dates” involving sexual acts in exchange for money.
The “dates” were to occur at a pre-determined location.
When the men arrived at the location after having entered into an agreement on service and price with the undercover detective, they were met by officers and taken into custody.
Locals can expect additional similar enforcement operations in the future.
Detectives and officers from multiple local law enforcement agencies, including the KCSO, Bremerton, Poulsbo and Bainbridge police departments, along with the Kitsap County Prosecutors Office, worked on the operation.
If individuals know someone who is a victim of human trafficking, consider visiting the Washington Anti-Trafficking Response Network website located at www.warn-trafficking.org/ for information on resources and contact numbers.
