Oregon Cases Link Worthy

Laker forward James Worthy, who on Tuesday pleaded not guilty in Houston to charges of soliciting prostitution, has been linked to two separate incidents involving escort services in Portland, Ore., police said Wednesday.

Dave Simpson, a spokesman for the Portland Police Bureau, said credit card receipts with Worthy’s name were found in 1987 in conjunction with an escort service that was closed for promoting prostitution. Simpson said he could not remember the service’s name.

In addition, Worthy’s name was found on a log book that was seized from Allstar Models and Escorts, which was later shut down for promoting prostitution. Worthy’s name was on the Feb. 6, 1990, log that listed a hotel phone and room number. The number matched the hotel and room number where Worthy was registered when the Lakers played the Trail Blazers that night.

Simpson said in both cases Worthy was not arrested nor is he part of any current investigation.

“Our goal is to shut down the service, rather than arrest the customers,” Simpson said. Soliciting prostitution is a misdemeanor in Oregon and Texas.

“The detective had received a tip in ’87 that the (the Laker forward) was involved and, sure enough, we found credit card receipts with his name and signature. So, we weren’t at all surprised when his name showed up again this time.”

Simpson said that it is standard procedure to use undercover officers at the start of the investigation until a case is solid. Search warrants are then issued and materials at the escort services are seized. In both cases Worthy’s name was among the confiscated material.

Worthy, when asked before Wednesday’s game against Denver about the two Oregon incidents, said: “I don’t have anything to say about that. I have no comment.”