Howard County police arrested nine men in Jessup on Monday and charged them with solicitation of prostitution and disorderly conduct, the department announced Wednesday.
The men were arrested at a hotel in the 8100 block of Washington Boulevard after detectives placed fake advertisements on websites in an effort to deter prostitution and human trafficking in the county, according to police.
All nine men spoke on the phone with an undercover police officer, met at the caller’s preferred location and, when they offered money for sex, they were arrested.
The men arrested are: Adrian Emmanuel Hewitt, 24, of Lanham; Eric Juan Heron, 44, of Glen Burnie; Andre Hutchins, 27, of Roanoke, Virginia; Matthew Allen Imholte, 41, of Columbia; Miguel Roberto Mejia Vasquez, 35, of Annapolis; Juan Sanchez-Melchor, 49, of Laurel; Johnny Lewis Savage, 54, of Jessup; Kenneth Simmons, 51, of Severn; and Chaning Matthew Spriggs, 27, of Linthicum.
People are encouraged to contact police at 410-313-STOP or HCPDcrimetips@howardcountymd.gov if they have information about suspected human trafficking or prostitution.