This is an archived article that was published on sltrib. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted. He stripped down to his boxer shorts, and her to her underwear. Then a police officer entered the room.
Actually, it was a second police officer. The woman, who was working as an escort and prostitute, had agreed to sell sex to an undercover police officer. Police here have been aggressively pursuing prostitution, even luring prostitutes and johns from other cities to arrest them in Layton. Layton police have arrested people suspected of prostitution-related crimes since early By comparison, Denver police made 40 such arrests in that span. Salt Lake City police made The arrests may be deterring more crimes.
Layton police Sgt. Pete Davis said some of the prostitutes he and his investigators have tried to set up have said they won't go to Layton. The prostitute arrested in the sting earlier this year said she's changed her ways. Layton doesn't have women in skimpy clothing offering sex on street corners.
But Police Chief Terry Keefe began worrying five years ago about people posting ads on the Internet offering or seeking sex in Layton. Some of the ads offered unprotected sex, Keefe said, and he was worried about people contracting HIV and other diseases. Stings have targeted both male and female prostitutes, Davis said.
A few arrested prostitutes have agreed to help police run stings to catch johns. A July 1 john sting netted Farmington police Lt. Shane Whitaker, who has since resigned. He pleaded guilty in October to a misdemeanor count of patronizing a prostitute. Whitaker also had to submit to the court proof he received an HIV test. Some are trying to support a drug habit and others are trying to support a family, he said. Davis said while all the male and a few of the female prostitutes work independently, others work for escort services that take a percentage of the money.
