CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Seven men were arrested Wednesday on charges of solicitation of prostitution, a felony punishable by up to two years in state jail and fines up to $10,000.
The men were taken into custody after they reportedly soliciting an undercover CCPD officer who was posing as a prostitute.
Authorities said that at one point, an unidentified woman began warning prospective “clients” that the women posing as prostitutes were actually undercover police officers.
All seven of the men apprehended during Wednesday’s operation agreed to attend a voluntary prostitution diversion education program at their own expense.
This program will educate them about the negative consequences of prostitution and the impact it has on the individual they attempt to solicit sex from in exchange for money.
CCPD says that prostitution is often linked to multiple other crimes including assault, human trafficking, sexual abuse, drug abuse, and the spread of sexually transmitted infectious disease.
Authorities also said that neighborhoods where prostitution is prevalent experience a drastic degradation of the quality of life that citizens expect and deserve.
Civilians with the Red Cord Initiative helped detectives work the operation, which targeted several north and west side neighborhoods that police said are "plagued by prostitution."
The Red Cord Initiative is a prostitution diversion program that provides practical and emotional support for those involved in prostitution. They provide case management, health services, job training, substance abuse treatment, clothing, housing, counseling, and other social services.
To learn more, volunteer or donate, citizens can visit the Coastal Bend Wellness foundation at http://www.cbwellness.org.
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