THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Friday, August 19, 2011— Page 3
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Police arrest 11 in undercover prostitution sting BY MATTHEW ARCO THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN
A county police task force says nearly a dozen prostitutes and people seeking the services of an undercover sheriff's deputy were recently arrested during a four-agency sting operation. Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce declared Thursday that the problem of prostitution, "though kept quiet from the public eye, is a large one," Carolyn Deberry across the county. Joyce spoke on the heels of a month-long investigation that ended with a sting operation and 11 arrests. "The problem of prostitution is no longer a city problem, it's an everywhere problem," said Joyce, adding that websites have made it easier for people to obtain sex for money. Police investigators used the websites Backpage.com and Craigslist.org to setup appointments or connect with woman offering services, he said. Todd Donatello Four women accused of working as prostitutes were arrested and charged with engaging in prostitution. Six men face similar charges after police say they met with an undercover officer during the sting operation, police said. Another man, Eric Mayo, 25, of Saco, was also arrested and charged with the promotion of prostitution and a probation violation. He's accused of Norma Greenleaf "acting as a pimp" for his wife, Samantha Pecoraro, 26, of Yarmouth, who was arrested for prostitution, Joyce said. The men, as well as Mayo and Pecoraro, were arrested after police used a female officer to pose as a prostitute offering services from a website. Officials held a two-day sting operation at a hotel in the county — which police declined to identify.
More than 150 calls were received during that time from men seeking sex — not counting the number of blocked texts, phone calls and emails that would have added hundreds more to the number, police said. In less than two hours after the advertisement went online, police said 52 people called to set up appointments. Calls were still being made as late as Eric Mayo 2:30 a.m. Thursday morning. The other women charged were Angela Cloutier, 26, of Bridgton, Carolyn Deberry, 32, of Gray, and Norma Jean Greenleaf, 43, of Brunswick, were charged with engaging in prostitution. Newell Perkins, 69, of Ogunquit, Spencer Richie, 49, of Woolwich, Todd Donatello, 49, of Falmouth, Chad Roper, 32, of Kennebunk, Joseph Miller, 45, of Portland, and Erick Van'Savage, 50, of New HartJoseph Miller ford, N.Y., were charged with engaging a prostitute. Joyce said the crimes are only a misdemeanors, but that he hopes by conducting these types of operations that it will be the determining factor in people weary of engaging is such behavior from actually going through with it. "If we take care of the damned and try to limit that, people are going to move elsewhere," Joyce said. "We're at Samantha Pecoraro least making the public aware that is is happening and we're at least going to try and let the prostitutes, the pimps (and) the Johns know that, guess what, … every once in awhile we're going to be out there." He said nearly a dozen people showed up to the hotel sting operation but left before any exchange of
Spencer Richie
money and crime was committed. He said the men either got Newell Perkins cold feet, had a change of heart or were spooked. Officials say the multi-agency investigation came together after detectives from different departments began working together "As they were gathering information it was apparent that, hey, we do have a problem and let's see how big of a problem we really do have," said Chief Michael Morrill, of the Yarmouth Police Department, adding that he wasn't Chad Roper surprised about how bad the problem was. "We're probably not going to stop it, but if they know that we're working these types of cases ... maybe it will slow down the activity," he said. Nearly a dozen investigators from Yarmouth, Bridgton and Brunswick police departments, and the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office participated in the operation. The Portland Police DepartErick VanSavage ment was not part of the task force. Lt. Gary Rogers, a police spokesman for PPD, said local officials conduct similar operations on a semiregular basis. He said the last time Portland did such an operation was three to four months ago. Officials said they planned to conduct similar stings in the future.
Two accused of rape, aggravated assault BY MATTHEW ARCO AND MARGE NIBLOCK THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN
Two people were arrested and accused of raping a 24-year-old Portland woman Wednesday, police said. Shawn Batchelder, 27, and Karla Wilson, 24, were charged with gross sexual assault and aggravated assault. The two were arrested after police responded to a 911 call made by a woman in an apartment at 218 Parkside Ave. shortly after 5 a.m. Wednesday. “The assault happened inside the apartment,” said Lt. Gary Rogers, a Portland police spokesman. Rogers said the three people knew one another but wouldn’t comment on the relationship between the victim or the two suspects. Wilson also maintains an apartment at 218 Park Ave., according to jail records. Wilson and the victim do not live together,
however, Rogers said. There was no home address listed for Batchelder during his booking, though Rogers said he is a longtime Portland resident. Rogers wouldn’t say if Batchelder was staying with the victim. For an aggravated assault charge, a weapon must be used during an attack or injuries to Wilson Batchelder the victim must be serious. Rogers would not say if a weapon was used in the assault or how serious the injuries were. The victim was treated and released from Maine Medical Center on Wednesday. There were 19 cases of alleged rape this year in Portland, Rogers said.
Man flashes woman on trail Police say a man exposed himself to a woman walking on the Fore River Sanctuary Trail earlier this week. The Portland Police Department responded to a report of a man having flashed a woman walking on the trail. Police say the woman immediately ran away and called police shortly after 6 p.m. Officials say they were unable to locate the man. — Matthew Arco