Man Charged with Promoting Prostitution in Eagan

A St. Paul man has been arrested in Eagan and charged with promoting prostitution.

Ronell Aaron James, 21, faces a felony charge of promoting prostitution of an individual, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $40,000 fine.

According to the criminal complaint, an Eagan police detective monitored the website Backpages.com during June and July, and found frequent postings for sexual services with the same cell phone number.

The officer traced the number to a woman, who, along with James, booked one or two nights at two different Eagan hotels, the complaint says.

On July 8, the detective received a call from the manager of one of the hotels, who said the woman had just registered for a room with James and another woman. The manager promised to call “if she saw any activity” in the room.

A few hours later, the manager called police to report that James had just left the room with the unknown woman, and they were walking toward a nearby fast-food restaurant. The manager said that as soon as the two left the hotel room, a man in his mid-40s went to the room, knocked on the door and was let inside.

The detective drove to the hotel and went to the room in time to see the man in his 40s leave the room. The detective asked the man what had happened in the room; the man said he had gone inside “with the purpose of engaging in prostitution,” but the woman asked for too much money, so he left.

The detective went into the hotel room and spoke to the woman, who admitted that she had sex with the man for $200, according to the complaint. Police subsequently tracked down James, who they said had a large amount of cash in his pockets, along with a cell phone that answered to the number posted on the Backpages.com ads.

The complaint says James denied being involved in the prostitution deal.

James is free on a $20,000 bond. An omnibus hearing in his case is scheduled for Oct. 3 in Dakota County District Court in Hastings.