A sting operation was conducted in Redding to bust potential customers seeking prostitution services. The joint operation was done Saturday by the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office and District Attorney’s Office, Redding Police and the FBI, with the cooperation of a local hotel. Sex acts were offered for sale on known prostitution websites and meetings were arranged at the hotel. Around 150 respondents expressed interest in the fictional prostitute. Six of them actually showed up. Four were arrested for solicitation of prostitution. The other two, 50-year-old Russel Garnes and a 38-year-old woman, had allegedly arranged to meet a minor for sex with Garnes, so their charges reflected that. All six were booked into jail.
– Steve Gibson