Seattle Massage Parlor Sting Focuses on Owners Not Johns

On February 28, 2019 in Seattle’s Chinatown, police raided 11 different massage parlors. Hordes of “customers” were not arrested, but five owners of the various “businesses” were. The lead detective, Seattle Sgt. Tom Umporowicz, stated at the conclusion of the raids, “from the beginning, the focus of the investigation was on targeting the people responsible Read More…

Court Finds Texts to Pimp Are Not Confidential

Purchasing sex via internet ads rarely turns out the way customers intend.  Often, the experiences have serious legal consequences. In the 2018 case of Mr. Hopper, he was convicted of sexual abuse of a minor.  His criminal case hinged on text messages found on the phone of an underage prostitute’s pimp. Hopper searched “Backpage.com” (which Read More…

Craigslist Sex Sting Dismissed Due to Police Misconduct

Another case of bungled police work has surfaced in a recent Craiglist sex sting in which undercover officers posed as willing sex seekers. A trial court in Mt. Vernon, Skagit County, found a well-respected detective went way over the line from “normal” undercover activity. While undercover, “public policy allows for some deceitful conduct and violation Read More…