Valley News Live - KVLY/KXJB - Fargo/Grand ForksThree arrested in prostitution sting

UPDATED 4:30 P.M.

An increase in adult entertainment advertisements leads to a prostitution sting and arrests. The Fargo Police Department and Cass County Sheriff's Department met with four women, three of whom agreed to sexual activities in exchange for money. Those arrested were Wendy Jojola of Fargo, Heather Mattson who does not have a current residence and Kimberly Lyles of Fargo.

The Fargo Police Department had received numerous tips about prostitutes working out of multiple Fargo motels. They went to the Motel 6 in South Fargo where a motel spokesperson says they were happy to help try to get rid of this type of activity and the crime that goes along with it.

Deputy Pat Claus with the Fargo Police Department says, "We see drug involvement, we see extortion, we see allegations of sexual assault against performers. We have clients who have been robbed."

A few times a year, law enforcement does similar stings targeting both the consumer and provider involved with prostitution. Each time, they average between 2 and 4 arrests. They usually work with Motel 6 to perform their stings, but say their tactics are working so well to deter prostitution, that they may have to find a new place to do them.

Deputy Claus says, "To see if they would agree to engage in adult activity, a lot of them wouldn't come to this particular hotel because it has a reputation of cooperating with the police department."

Law enforcement sets up these stings by calling numbers from escort advertisements from Fargo Backpage and adult entertainment advertisements in the classified section of the Forum newspaper. Fargo police say these type of listings are legal.

The Motel 6 involved with the sting was not one of the places reported to have a prostitution problem. The fourth woman could also face charges.

ORIGINAL STORY

Fargo Police arrested three women during a prostitution sting at a Fargo motel.

News release from Fargo Police:

The Fargo Police Department, with the assistance of the Cass County Sheriff's Department, conducted a prostitution sting on Monday, February 6, at a south Fargo motel.

Fargo Police detectives called phone numbers listed in the escort advertisements on www.fargo.backpage.com and the adult entertainment classifieds section of The Forum newspaper.  During the sting, four females met with an undercover officer and three of them agreed to engage in sexual activity in exchange for money. Those arrested include:

Wendy Marie Jojola, 46, Fargo

Heather Marie Mattson, 32, no permanent address given

Mattson was also arrested for a parole warrant out of Cass County

Kimberly Lea Lyles, 35, Fargo

Prostitution is a class B-Misdemeanor punishable by a maximum penalty of 30 days imprisonment and/or up to a $1,000 fine.

The Fargo Police Department has received recurring information about prostitutes operating at numerous hotels in Fargo. There was no current information about prostitutes operating at the participating motel, however, the participating motel has taken the stance of cooperating with law enforcement to allow these stings to take place at the motel in an effort to deter this and other crimes.  Their cooperation to help deter crime in their community is greatly appreciated.