Prostitution Sting Snares 15 People In Moreno Valley

MORENO VALLEY, CA — A prostitution sting Tuesday in Moreno Valley led to the arrests of 15 people, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department announced.

The Moreno Valley Station's Problem-Oriented Policing team, Homeless Outreach team, and Gang team, along with the Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking team conducted the operation within city limits.

Twelve males and three females were arrested. The females were sex workers and the males were seeking sexual services, according to the sheriff's department.

The females were offered resources "to assist them in getting out of this dangerous lifestyle," the department said.

While details of the operation were not disclosed, prostitution stings typically involve law enforcement placing "decoy" ads on classified websites used for the solicitation of online prostitution. When "johns" respond to the ads, undercover agents negotiate paid sexual acts and meeting places.

When the johns turn up at the agreed-upon rendezvous locations, they are arrested — usually on suspicion of misdemeanor solicitation of prostitution.

Similar tactics are sometimes used to investigate women involved in selling sexual services.