16-6-12. Pandering
A person commits the offense of pandering when he or she solicits a person to perform an act of prostitution in his or her own behalf or in behalf of a third person or when he or she knowingly assembles persons at a fixed place for the purpose of being solicited by others to perform an act of prostitution.
According to www.law.justia.com.
COVINGTON, Ga. – The Covington Police arrested eight men at a local hotel last Thursday night in a pandering sting targeting prostitutes and their customers.
The arrests come as CPD continues to target online prostitution solicitations in the area. This was the second sting resulting in multiple arrests by police since June. An earlier operation netted 10 arrests.
The Covington News was with police when they arrested the eight who came to the hotel. While none of the men were actually from Covington, two were in the area when they made initial contact with undercover officers. Others were from as far away as Alpharetta, Columbus, Gainesville and North Carolina.
Captain Ken Malcom said the operation also included reaching out to 17 prostitutes who solicit business online advertising their availability in Covington. None of them responded.
One of the men police arrested had an outstanding warrant. Another dropped cocaine as police approached and he was also charged with drug possession. A third man was holding cash totaling more than $3,500 when he was arrested.
Malcom said prostitution is not a victimless crime.
“Sometimes people show up who don’t have any money. Why are they there?” he said.
One of the men arrested even told the officers arresting him he left his wallet in his truck because he wasn’t sure if he was going to get “rolled” when he got to the hotel room.
Malcom told The News while problems with this type of criminal activity are minimal, Covington is not the place to come looking.
“If people continue to come to Covington to participate in this type of criminal activity, we will arrest them,” he said. “Covington is not the place.”
Arrested and charged with pandering during the Nov.9 operation were Brandon Brown, 29, Joseph Cason, 32, Joshua Lewis, 39, Donald Dean, 51, Aron Hunley, 39, Patrick Caldwell, 53, Lugene Lewis, 37, and Brandon Moore, 44. Caldwell was also charged with possession of cocaine. Cason was also arrested on a warrant for failure to appear.
Arrested during the June sting were Alphonso Bailey, 28, Antonio Foster, 46, Derick Youmans, 38, Douglas Larry II, 37, Fernando Rosario, 45, George Lewis, 40, Orville Walker, 22 and Roy Johnson III, 51. Kemora Hall, 25 and Aderius McIntosh, 20, were also arrested during the June sting and charged with prostitution.
