From the NY Post:
Upper West Side prof ran hooker Web site: cops
“This physics professor was a little too interested in human anatomy.
A college teacher from the Upper West Side known as a nerdy scientist and doting grandfather had a shocking second life — running a New Mexico-based prostitution ring that sold high-priced hookers to randy rednecks, police said yesterday.
David Flory, 68, of Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey — a specialist in quantum theory and its relation to astronomy — will need more than an advanced degree to beat the 40 felony counts of promoting prostitution that landed him in an Albuquerque jail cell on $100,000 bail.
(snip)
Flory’s high-security “Southwest Companions” had an impressive client list of about 1,400 johns, whom he hooked up with a stable of 200 cybersluts. They included Phoenix hooker Andrea Moorehead, who offered a $1,400 date that promises “two hours out/two hours in,” police said.”
One thing you can’t see in the above snippet is the words in the url to the story. The phrase “master of the tarts” is in the permalink. Not that I expect high journalism from the NY Post but still that phrase is so bad.
What really pisses me off is several stories called “Andrea Moorehead” a hooker. Not an accused hooker, not accused of prostitution but a hooker. Some may say this is a minor point but I don’t think so. I haven’t come across anything that says Moorehead has been proven guilty of prostitution. She hasn’t had her day in court. Any yet many news stories that I read today go ahead and try to slut shame her with the hooker label. So far all the stories I’ve seen about the two men arrested have made sure to include “accused” or “alleged” while talking about them. This story and many others also lead with a sexy picture of a woman that was part of the Southwest Companions website. So tasteless-using a picture like that because sex sells while condemning prostitution.
If you scroll to the bottom of the story you’ll see some good comments. The very first one is from Annie Sprinkle herself! She says “Sex workers and academics are a wonderful complimentary blend.” Right on sister!
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From the Albuquerque Journal:
BREAKING: Prostitution Probe Expands To Ex-UNM President
“Albuquerque police said this afternoon that former University of New Mexico President F. Chris Garcia’s alleged role in a prostitution ring was to go out and solicit new “talent.”
They said Garcia, 71, was an alleged member of the ring’s “Hunt Club,” in charge of soliciting women for the business.
Police said they don’t believe Garcia’s motive was to make money but rather to provide a safe place for prostitution without risk of arrest.
Garcia has been booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center on a $35,000 cash or surety bond on charges of promoting prostitution, tampering with evidence and conspiracy, MDC records show.”
I almost blogged about this bust last night. But it was late and the post was only half done so I decided to put it off. When I picked it up today I found the above story. Wow, I didn’t expect a former college president to be involved. This story has so many twists.
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From KOB:
Former online prostitution website owner arrested
“A second arrest was made in the case of David Flory, the New Jersey professor arrested in Albuquerque for running an online prostitution ring.
A woman who may have owned the website before Flory is now facing charges.
(snip)
She is charged with intimidation of a witness and accused of harassing a woman who may have helped police take down David Flory.”
She allegedly made threats on a website that was known to be infiltrated by the police? If this is true then what the hell was she thinking? Surely police are monitoring the site even more since this story hit the media.
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One thing I haven’t been seeing mention of is the West Mesa Murders. I blogged about them here and here. The murders now have their own Wiki page.
The West Mesa Murders are still unsolved and the killer could still be alive and free somewhere. The NM police have repeatedly asked prostitutes to volunteer any information they may have. But in the light of this prostitution bust what person would? What prostitute could trust the NM police to not arrest her even if she had useful information? I worry this bust and the publicity around it could hurt the West Mesa investigation; that makes me angry and frustrated with our justice system.
The police has said they care about these dead women and want to bring the killer to justice. Don’t they see how such a bust could hurt the investigation?
And are they really helping the living prostitutes? No, they want to arrest the living ones and lock them away for daring to make a living with their bodies. How many women, and men, are going to lose business over this? Will their work bounce back in time to pay their rent and other bills?
Why are the dead women in need of justice while living prostitutes need to be punished and/or changed into “acceptable” citizens? When will prostitutes get the respect and justice they deserve whether they are alive or dead?
And when will we finally decriminalize prostitution? It’s 2011-shouldn’t women have full control of what goes in and out of their bodies by now?
Posted by Vixen as News, Sex Workers at 11:11 PM CDT