Nine Arrested During Baxter Police Prostitution Sting

Last month member of the Baxter Police department published an online classified style ad looking for people willing to pay for sex. The result was the arrest of 9 men ranging in age from 27 to 71.

The Women’s Foundation of Minnesota says the average age of a girl used for prostitution or involved in sex trafficking is between 12 to 14 years old. And the Chief Exsted says this bust is a step in the right direction to ending sex trafficking.

The Twin Cities is in the top 13 areas for sex trafficking in the United States and with about 83% of those people used for sex trafficking coming from the U.S., and Chief Exsted says this problem hits too close home.

Earlier this year a Brainerd man was arrested for trying to recruit an undercover Rochester police officer to be a prostitute here in Brainerd Lakes Area. And Chief Exsted said that was one of the motivations behind last month’s sting.