Burlington Prostitution Sting: 3 Arrested

Burlington Police this month arrested three men in a reverse prostitution sting as part of a national crackdown.

Elisson Neto, 37, of Northborough, James O'Donovan, 48, of Newton, and Edgar Sao, 43, of Lynn were charged with solicitation of sexual conduct for a fee. They were released on bail.

The men were arrested Feb. 3 at a Burlington hotel that aided police in the sting, according to a Feb. 9 release.

The arrests were the result of a two-and-a-half-week operation with the National Johns Suppression Initiative — "a joint effort between police agencies that targets the illegal sale of sex acts," the release said. Approximately 15 states participated in the sweep.

Burlington Police say they regularly conduct sweeps involving instances of prostitution being set up over the internet using local hotels to meet. They have made 27 arrests since 2013 in sting operations.

“The Burlington Police Department has been very proactive in its efforts to combat prostitution and human trafficking through the use of reverse stings and through social media,” Chief Michael Kent said. “We believe the reduced numbers from our most recent operation shows that those efforts are working.”