Chattanooga, Tennessee (The Weekly Vice) -- Police conducted a prostitution sting on Friday, netting 8 red light vixens that police might want to consider tossing back into the pond.
The Chattanooga police Special Investigations Unit conducted a prostitution sting in it's Highland Park and East Lake districts, arresting eight women and two pimps on charges of prostitution, narcotics, drug paraphernalia, promoting prostitution and outstanding warrants.
One of the pimps, Chariton Kyle was prostituting his wife while a female suspect was arrested while out on bond for prostitution, according to police. Authorities also say the ladies were working within 1 1/2 miles of a school.
Arrests include as photographed left to right above:
Valerie Stevens, 31, prostitution next to school
Norma Williams, 26, obstructing a roadway - known prostitute
Alice Langston, 51, prostitution next to school, out on bond
Sheila Reel, 41, prostitution next to school
Leslie Taylor, 38, prostitution next to school, outstanding warrants
Jennifer Kyle, 31, prostitution next to school, with husband
Stephanie Burress, 21, possession of crack, paraphernalia, prostituting by school
Sharon King, 45, Prostitution next to school, possession of paraphernalia
The Weekly Vice Opinion:
What gets us here is how these women keep working - looking like THAT? Now we know that hookers don't represent the most beautiful segment of society, but damn.... 50 year olds and women with no teeth? This seems more like charity work to us, on the part of the johns.
Danny Vice
The Weekly Vice
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19 comments:
Most hookers look like those women, so it should surprise no one. Prostitution is not a glamorous job by any stretch of the imagination, except in the movies.
The truth is, if men were viewing hookers as something other than an inanimate object or even subhuman, maybe hookers would look like Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman". That's not reality, though. That's not the reality of why women turn to prostitution, and it's not the reality of why men hire hookers.
I am forever turned off by the prospect of ever wanting to hire a hooker.
Oh come on....They look like average ordinary Georgia housewives.
Put a little make up and pimple creme on Stephanie and she'd almost pass for. Oh never mind, there's just no way.
Um question? Why do we arrest these women? I am not condoning prostitution by any means but these ladies have some serious problems, shouldn't they be put in a mental hospital or something? And why don't we turn them on their John Does and arrest the dudes who cause this racket to survive? I mean I'm more peeved that there are guys out there who use prostitutes. This story only makes me sad that our country continues to resemble the Roman Empire at the tail end of its power...and the beginning of its crumbling collapse.
Aaaaahhhhh!! My eyes are bleeding! I'm blind!!!!
Wearing makeup must be a crime in Tennessee. and shampoo. and zit compound. and teeth. and hairbrushes. and- elfninomom, there are call girls all over CraigsList and they look alright.
And I believe if you treated one of these girls like a person, you'd get ignored by her. Men hit on prostitutes all the time, because they're lonely. But these girls are so wired up on drugs, only one thing is important most of the time. that next fix
Arresting these woman helps nobody. It's a waste of time and tax payer's money. They'll be back out on the street hooking again in no time. Their criminal record will just make it that bit more difficult for them to ever sort their lives out.
Even cracking down on their customers wouldn't help much. It would just drive them even further underground, and wouldn't help the women with their problems.
Lets face it, nobody would become a street prostitute like that if they were sane and sober. Some escorts and brothel workers may do it because they like it, but women like that are hookers because they can't do anything else.
Women like that need help, not punishment as criminals.
Alright genius. So lets say you put these girls through a 3 month outpatient treatment program. What makes you think the girls are going to show up for it?
Oh... perhaps you mean giving them a handout?
There's nothing else you can do with them but put them in a cell and let them dry out - hoping a couple of weeks off drugs will help them.
You think that people can't get drugs in prison? If anything, being stuck in prison will just make their drug problem worse.
Prison is primarily there to punish people, it does very little to help vulnerable people who end up in the system. People like that should be treated as victims, not as criminals.
Doing absolutely nothing would be much better than locking them up and giving them a criminal record. Have you any idea how hard it is to find legitimate work with a drugs/prostitution conviction? They're already in a bad situation, how does it help anyone to make it even worse?
The data from people who've worked with street prostitutes shows that over 90% want to get out of that situation. I think that voluntary programs to help with drug rehabilitation, education and employment would have the best chance of success.
your numbers are all very nice, but there are plenty of jobs out there.
If a high schooler can get a job bussing tables, than these adults surely can.
But they won't, because they want to make enough money to survive AND continue a very very expensive habit.
Oh yeah, they want to get out of the situation.
That's like someone saying they want to quite smoking, but never do.
If they want to quit, they can stand on their feet and walk away from it. There are plenty of resources available to help.
Plenty of jobs? You're living in a fantasy world. Try supporting a family on a minimum wage job bussing tables. There's a reason why jobs like that go to high schoolers rather than adults.
Of course a lot of women in prostitution have serious drug problems, or mental illness, and couldn't hold down any job. That's why they need help to get out of that situation and improve their lot.
Explain how giving them a criminal record helps them at all when it comes to finding work?
There are definitely not "plenty of resources to available to help", often there's next to nothing for them. Put some of the money spent on the revolving-door punishment of prostitutes into actually helping them, then maybe things would get better.
The current system is insane and harmful. The law should be there to protect and help people, not enforce morality by punishing the vulnerable, and making their bad situation worse.
I totally agree with Bob. Any kind of criminal conviction, be it misdemeanor or felony, keeps anyone wanting to start anew from obtaining gainful employment. These ladies wouldn't even be able to flip burgers with their backgrounds. It's unfortunate, but maybe before you judge, Karen, take a walk in someone else's shoes for a minute. Whatever these women have going on, jail is certainly not the answer. They are only hurting themselves, but they are having to pay with the rest of their lives by being branded criminals.
Well, if you put a faux fur on them, pantyhose and boots they might look okay from a distance!
And maybe a sexy wig....a blonde wig usually helps them appear hotter too.....especially with the fur......
id rather lick slop out of a pigs ass than tae my weenie by dunkin it in that street death
youd be safer to just go tongue bang a 55 gallon of toxic waste n beat off at a waste water treatment plant, them huggard harlots all have cheese in their crotches, n are ate up with aids
Bob, you are absolutely right.
I can't believe people are saying we shouldn't arrest them because of the COST, but we should, instead, get them "help"... have you any idea how much it would cost to house these - ah - women for three months? Add to that the psychologist/psychiatrist fees, medications and all that goes with beating addictions, and basically re-structuring their lives? Why would we do it for these women and not for those who need help who HAVEN'T been arrested?
I live in Chattanooga, so I feel qualified to say that no, they could NOT find a job, flipping burgers or anything else. (And seriously, I wouldn't want those fingers on my burgers, would you?) (just sayin)...
I am not bothered or surprised that men would pay these women for sex. But here's the thing: I'm recently divorced after over two decades of marriage, and I'm shocked at how many married men ask me out. So while I have no problem with men paying for sex, I DO have a real problem with them getting the diseases these women likely have and taking it home to their wives. Now THAT is criminal.
Chattanooga: We're keepin' it classy!
/oblig
Also: I think I agreed with the wrong poster... sorry about that.
You can't just ignore that a law has been broken because the persons who broke it are addicts. Are we also going to excuse those who commit robbery, armed and otherwise, because they did it to feed their crack habit?
A great number of crimes are committed by people to simply satiate their addictions. If we excuse this lot for that reason, we have to apply that same mercy to those who shoot down store clerks for their next fix.
In my town, where this happened, there is at least one facility I know of that will accept anyone who is willing to try to beat their addiction. It's virtually one mile from downtown Chattanooga, so it's not like they can't get there. There are also half-way houses for after that treatment (30 days) is over, where one can stay and be fed and sheltered for at least six months. Job training and placement are offered, as well as counseling, transportation, and mega support. All that's required is that one remains off drugs. There is also housing (and very nice housing, at that) for those recovering addicts with children. There IS help, at least where these "ladies" are from. This is all paid for by the state. So don't go bleeding about how they "have no choice" because, in this town, they simply do.
/rant over
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