Asheville Police Conduct Craigslist Prostitution Sting

By: staff and press release | WSPA-TV
Published: November 14, 2008

Asheville police charged eight in relation to a prostitution sting conducted targeting activing on Cragslist.

The Asheville Police Department, assisted by the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office Computer Crimes Unit, had officers posing as visiting businessmen posting on Craigslist looking for prostitutes.

Eight were charged in the sting with charges ranging from solicit for prostitution to massage without a license.

Read the complete release from Asheville police -- including a list of those arrested and their charges -- below:

APD vice officers conduct Craigslist prostitution sting
ASHEVILLE - Vice officers in the APD’s Drug Suppression Unit have made several arrests in a recent series of special operations targeting prostitution activity on the Craigslist Web site.

The Asheville Police Department was assisted by the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office Computer Crimes Unit.

Over the last few weeks, officers have posed as traveling businessmen seeking prostitutes that have posted notices on Craigslist. Craigslist is a central network of online communities, featuring free classified ads for jobs, internships, housing, personals, as well as a section for erotic services.

Police have received numerous complaints about these listings, relating to fraud and robbery, as well as prostitution.
The following people were charged in the recent operation:

 Melissa Sexton Wilson, of Alexander -- Solicit for Prostitution
 Audra Leigh Bradley, of Black Mountain -- Massage without License
 Dawn Foreman Jones, of Asheville -- Solicit for Prostitution
 Lisa Leikos, of Burnsville -- Solicit for Prostitution
 Karen Black, of Smyrna, Ga. -- Solicit for Prostitution
 Amanda Smith, of Asheville -- Solicit for Prostitution
 Shelly Sluder, of Asheville -- Solicit for Prostitution/Possessions of Schedule 3 Controlled Substance
 Emily Denise Miller, of Asheville -- Practice Massage without License/Adult Entertainment without License/City Ordinance Violation (Massage)