9 Arrested In Prostitution Stings In Montgomery County: DA

MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP, PA — Authorities have arrested nine men in Montgomery and Horsham townships in a series of recent sting operations for patronizing women they thought were prostitutes, the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office announced.

Officials called the operation a "concerted effort" to stop the buying and selling of sex in the local area.

The nine men, between 35 to 59 years old, were not named by the DA's Office, which noted that their goal was not publicly shame participants in the sex trade but rather to highlight its dangers and to deter future participation from the "demand side."

The men were from areas throughout Montgomery, Bucks, and Philadelphia counties, authorities said.

The DA's Office said they've seen an increase in crime in areas where the commercial sex trade is active, and pointed to he risk of assault, robbery, and health consequences like an increased risk of disease.

To conduct these sting operations, detectives in Montgomery and Horsham townships placed online ads for text message and phone calls, and the men arranged a time and price for sexual services, police said.

When the men showed up, they were arrested and charged with patronizing a prostitute, which is classified as a third-degree misdemeanor.

Similar undercover operations have been used in an attempt to deter the sex trade in the King of Prussia area and elsewhere.