Woman Is Arrested in 2nd Pimping Case

A woman who is awaiting trial with her husband for allegedly running an Internet prostitution ring out of their home when they lived in Redondo Beach was arrested Monday on suspicion of pimping, authorities said.

Police arrested Jill Ellen McGrath, 36, who had been out on bail, at her Lawndale home. Redondo Beach Police Sgt. Phil Keenan said she was being held on suspicion of pimping and pandering -- the same charges she and her husband, Christopher Davis, 36, faced after being arrested last November.

McGrath’s bail was set at $35,000. She is scheduled to be arraigned today at Los Angeles County Superior Court in Torrance. McGrath’s children, 7 years old and 14 months old, were placed into the custody of the county Department of Children and Family Services.

Davis is wanted for questioning, Keenan said.

McGrath’s lawyer, Kevin Donahue, who also represented Davis on the previous charges, declined to comment.

Keenan said police received a tip about a month ago that McGrath and Davis were operating a new website.

During a sting operation, police contacted a woman featured on the site.

An undercover officer met her in a hotel room where she offered sex in exchange for money, police said. After her arrest, she led police to McGrath. The couple were arrested in November on suspicion of running a prostitution service on a different website. Allegedly, Davis posted photos of women on the site and the couple charged a so-called referral fee of $300 to $600 an hour.

Police said the couple employed between 25 and 30 women and had about 1,000 clients. McGrath and Davis had denied that they offered prostitution services.

“We’ve dealt with prostitution rings, but nothing of this caliber,” Keenan said.

Most of the women involved with the website led other lives as students, housewives, fitness trainers and professionals in various occupations, he said.