Online Prostitution Sting in Cherry Hill Nets 6 Arrests

Four prostitutes and two johns were arrested in a joint operation with the FBI and Mount Laurel Police targeting online prostitution earlier this summer, Cherry Hill Police announced Thursday.

The monthlong investigation, which ended May 25, focused on women who claimed to be escorts using backpage.com to solicit johns, police said, in an effort to cut down on prostitution and related crimes around local hotels and motels.

None of those arrested were from Cherry Hill; three were from Camden County, one was from Burlington County and the others were Philadelphia residents.

Charged with engaging in prostitution in the sting were:

• Heather Lynn Moore, 31, of the 2000 block of Sycamore Avenue in Haddon Heights
• Amber Hopkins, 24, of the 2600 block of East Allegheny Avenue in Philadelphia
• Mary Hentz, 24, of the 300 block of Garnett Drive in Burlington
• Michele Andrea Lee, 23, of the 100 block of Devon Avenue in Bellmawr

Charged with promoting prostitution in the sting were:

• William Jordan, 39, of the 1500 block of Lucas Lane in Voorhees
• Asif Baksh, 24, of the 5200 block of Ditman Street in Philadelphia

Hentz and Lee were also charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance and possession of controlled dangerous substance paraphernalia, and were also arrested on open warrants.

Jordan was additionally charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance and possession of controlled dangerous substance paraphernalia.

The arrests are the second prostitution-related charges announced this week by Cherry Hill Police. Officers on Monday arrested a man police said was pimping his girlfriend after he allegedly beat her and kidnapped her from Pennsauken with the help of a cabdriver.

Officers also broke up an alleged brothel earlier this year, which police said had been running out of a home on Oak Avenue.