EL CAMINO VILLAGE : 9 Men Arrested in Prostitution Sting

In an effort to curb prostitution along a strip of Crenshaw Boulevard, Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies arrested nine men last Thursday after they allegedly solicited undercover female deputies for sex.

The nine suspects, who ranged in age from 19 to 63, were arrested during a sting operation in the 14800 block of Crenshaw Boulevard. Residents of Compton, Los Angeles, Gardena, Torrance, Hawthorne and Lawndale, the men were issued citations for misdemeanor prostitution charges and were released on their own recognizance.

Sheriff’s vice deputies decided to target the customers because of continued complaints about prostitution in the area, said Sheriff’s Lt. Dave Kading.

Deputies began receiving complaints about eight months ago and have conducted several prostitution sweeps in which male deputies posed as customers and arrested suspected prostitutes or advised them to leave the area. But because complaints continued, deputies decided to “start deterring male customers,” Kading said.

Deputies ran the sting operation from noon to 8 p.m., using a few motel rooms in the area. Female deputies masquerading as prostitutes loitered on the sidewalks. Other deputies stopped and arrested the motorists who solicited the decoys and followed the women to the designated motel rooms, Kading said.