Illicit Massage Parlors See New Form Of Crackdown
In the last few years, the difficulty of dispelling massage parlor prostitution through traditional police methods has prompted some cities to experiment with a new enforcement approach.
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In the last few years, the difficulty of dispelling massage parlor prostitution through traditional police methods has prompted some cities to experiment with a new enforcement approach.
Two men are accused of having sex with a runaway 17-year-old girl for money, in connection with a St. Paul prostitution sting earlier this year.
More than a dozen people are facing behind bars after a two-day prostitution sting by police at a Duluth area motel late this week. Fourteen men face charges for soliciting prostitution, one of whom faces additional charges for sex trafficking and selling methamphetamine. A woman was also taken into custody for offering prostitution services.
A North Branch massage parlor was the target of a prostitution raid on Tuesday.
The proprietors of Ramsey, Minnesota massage parlor are accused of profiting from the prostitution of their employees.
A Ramsey County judge handed down stern words and stiff sentences for an Eden Prairie couple convicted of prostituting a 15-year-old girl in St. Paul.
Two Hastings men are accused of prostituting an underage girl as a form of payment in a drug deal, according to charges filed in Dakota County Court. William Dale Willis, 25, and Daniel Rashaun Gopie, 27, were each charged with two felony counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct in connection with the Sept. 21 incident.
A 25-year-old St. Paul man pleaded guilty Friday to one count of sex trafficking a minor. Dontre McHenry is accused of recruiting and trafficking teenage girls throughout Minnesota, according to U.S. Attorney Andrew Lugar. McHenry is suspected of coercing at least three girls under the age of 18 between January 2013 and March 2014.
Bloomington Police arrested 16 people in a recent prostitution sting, including the former CEO of a Twin Cities hospital. David Cress, 64, was among the 15 men and one woman arrested on Tuesday. North Memorial Medical Center cut ties with Cress after police arrested him in a prostitution sting in Richfield four years ago.
The former chief of police in Robbinsdale pleaded guilty to soliciting a prostitute earlier this year. Steven Smith, 45, was arrested in Coon Rapids during a prostitution sting in February.
A 36-year-old California man is facing federal criminal charges following his arrest in Las Vegas on charges alleging he transported a teenage girl from Minnesota to Los Angeles to engage in prostitution. Records show that Laron Darrell Carter was scheduled to for a detention hearing before a magistrate judge on Tuesday. His public defender, Elisa Vasquez, declined comment.
Investigators are releasing new information on the prostitution sting that led to the arrest of the Robbinsdale police chief. Former police chief Steven Smith was one of 11 people taken into custody on Feb. 20 by Coon Rapids police. According to police records, he was answering an ad on Backpage.com that was placed by an undercover Coon Rapids officer.
The Robbinsdale police chief stepped down Saturday after being issued a citation for hiring and engaging in prostitution by the Coon Rapids Police Department on Feb. 20.
A suburban St. Louis man has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison for transporting five female victims for prostitution purposes between Missouri and five other states. Federal prosecutors say 45-year-old Barry Wimberly of Hazelwood, Mo., pleaded guilty in December to one felony count of transportation for purposes of prostitution.
A 30-year-old St. Paul man received the longest sentence ever imposed on anyone found guilty of sex-trafficking in Minnesota history. Otis Deno Washington was found guilty of first- and second-degree solicitation to practice prostitution (one involving a minor), two counts of promotion of prostitution, and one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking.
A Chicago man was sentenced Friday to more than 26 years in prison for the sex trafficking of a teenage girl – which may be the longest sentence ever given in Minnesota for such a crime. According to the Ramsey County Attorney's office, Arteco Marvell Rhodes, 38, was found guilty on Nov. 1 on one count of engaging in sex trafficking in the first degree and possession of child pornography. Rhodes met the defendant, a 15-year-old girl, in Chicago in March, and asked her if she "wanted to make money and be part of the family." Within weeks, Rhodes drove the teen and a 19-year-old woman from Chicago to the Twin Cities in a conversion van.
Four family members have now been convicted for participating in a sex trafficking ring that last about two years, extended to multiple Minnesota communities and victimized many vulnerable women. On Wednesday, the Ramsey County Attorney's Office announced that 30-year-old Otis Deno Washington, of St. Paul, was found guilty in Ramsey County District Court on multiple sex trafficking counts. According to a press release, they are: two counts of promotion of prostitution; two counts of solicitation, one involving a minor; and one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking.
A Ramsey County jury found a 27-year-old Brooklyn Park man guilty on Friday in connection with a human sex trafficking operation that involved numerous victims -- including women who were mentally slow or vulnerable -- across multiple Minnesota communities.
A Ramsey County jury found a Chicago man guilty in the sex trafficking of a 15-year-old girl in St. Paul in April 2013. Arteco Marvell Rhodes, 38, was found guilty of possession of child pornography and he will be sentenced at 9 a.m. on Dec. 13.
A 37-year-old Eden Prairie woman is in Carver County jail pending charges of felony promotion of prostitution after officers raided a Chanhassen massage parlor last Wednesday. According to Carver County Sheriff Jim Olson, deputies served a search warrant at a message business on the 7900 block of Stone Creek Drive in Chanhassen on the afternoon of Oct. 29. Deputies had originally targeted to the business after allegations that employees were offering sexual services for a "$40-$50 tip."
A former suburban Minneapolis high school cheerleading captain has been sentenced to three years in prison for prostituting a younger squad member. Eighteen-year-old Montia Parker was sentenced Friday. She will spend at least two years behind bars before she's eligible for release.
Prosecutors say a high school cheerleader is admitting she talked a fellow student into prostituting herself, then kept the money. Eighteen-year-old Montia Parker pleaded guilty Friday to three prostitution-related counts.
Getting caught engaging in prostitution or soliciting sex for pay will come with a higher cost to Minnesota offenders. A new state law permits authorities to forfeit the cash that was used in or intended for the sex solicitation.
A Brooklyn Park man is charged with one count of prostitution involving a 16-year-old who was pulled in to prostitution by a fellow Hopkins High School cheerleader. According to the Hennepin County Attorney's office, 27-year-old Oladipupo Ademola Legunsen is accused of soliciting sex from a high school sophomore on March 6, which he saw posted in an ad on Backpages.com. The victim was allegedly solicited by 18-year-old Montia Marie Parker of Maple Grove, who knew the victim from the cheerleading team at Hopkins High, where she was a senior.
It's a story being written in the halls of schools across the Twin Cities -- girls as young as 12 are being recruited as sex workers. The FBI ranks Minnesota 13th in the nation for highest incidence of sex trafficking.
An overturned tanker truck has closed down northbound Interstate 35W Friday morning in Lino Lakes.
Friday will be another cool and cloudy day, with Saturday following suit.
This holiday season, you might pull out a Betty Crocker cookbook to find a tried and true recipe.
There are a lot of quirky town names in Minnesota: Embarrass, Nowthen, Clontarff, Kiester. But the people of Nimrod believe their name stands out from the rest.
Flames tore through a building and well-known horse farm near Winona on Thursday afternoon.
An overturned tanker truck has closed down northbound Interstate 35W Friday morning in Lino Lakes.
Authorities are asking for the public's help in finding a missing 71-year-old woman with dementia from White Bear Lake.
Last year, Minnesota lawmakers passed new protections after a young woman testified about contamination in her community just before she died. Her sister is now carrying on the fight to protect other families.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on Thursday vetoed a City Council proposal that would establish a citywide labor standards board.
A man is expected to survive after being shot during a possible drug deal in Minneapolis' Dinkytown neighborhood Thursday morning, police said.
There are a lot of quirky town names in Minnesota: Embarrass, Nowthen, Clontarff, Kiester. But the people of Nimrod believe their name stands out from the rest.
Flames tore through a building and well-known horse farm near Winona on Thursday afternoon.
Authorities in Pine County are searching for an 82-year-old man who told family he was leaving for Texas in early November and hasn't been heard from since.
A southwest Minnesota man is donating his time and skills to provide a service that most of us didn't know needed to be done.
A recount of a close Minnesota House race on Thursday could determine the balance of power in the chamber, which now stands at a political tie, according to the unofficial results from the election two weeks ago.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court is grappling with a case affecting whether the swing state's nonpartisan top elections official can remain in her post despite not being reappointed and confirmed by the state Senate.
Documents say Steven Williams resigned from the Prescott, Wisconsin police force "in lieu of termination."
An attorney representing a conservative prosecutor struggled Monday to convince Wisconsin's liberal-leaning Supreme Court to reactivate the state's 175-year-old abortion ban.
Jennie-O turkey brand will display its float at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for the fifth consecutive year.
Traffic is backed up on a major interstate in western Wisconsin Tuesday morning due to a crash.
A man is expected to survive after being shot during a possible drug deal in Minneapolis' Dinkytown neighborhood Thursday morning, police said.
A warm place to live may be taken for granted, but for a veteran taking over his family home, it's a gift.
Michael Fuller and Mahesh Mathew are finding purpose on Twin Cities running paths together.
One issue veterans face is finding a job after they finish their service. They have skills, of course, but they are not always valued as work experience. The University of Minnesota Medical School is hoping to change that.
Alan Vanhoever and Brian Neidt are honored to have served the United States. Both struggled with addiction for years before giving a specialized long-term program a try.
President-elect Donald Trump made the announcement Thursday evening after Matt Gaetz withdrew himself from consideration.
President-elect Donald Trump announced Gaetz as his nominee to be attorney general last week.
A recount of a close Minnesota House race on Thursday could determine the balance of power in the chamber, which now stands at a political tie, according to the unofficial results from the election two weeks ago.
A woman told police she was sexually assaulted in 2017 by Pete Hegseth, according to a detailed, newly released police report. He is now President-elect Trump's choice for defense secretary.
State regulators denied two-thirds of the applications seeking one of the initial "preapproved" licenses to operate a cannabis business in Minnesota, a spokesperson for the Office of Cannabis Management said by email.
The average price for a typical turkey is about $25 this year. That's 6% cheaper than last November.
"We literally walk in and dust off the jackets because they have been sitting for a while," she said.
Thieves capture radio signals from your key fob by using a device that grabs that fob's signal, even from long distances. That signal can be stored and re-used.
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The Wild also partnered with community food shelves to give out Turkeys this holiday season.
A man is expected to survive after being shot during a possible drug deal in Minneapolis' Dinkytown neighborhood Thursday morning, police said.
A woman in her 60s has been charged with fatally striking a person with her car back in July near Hibbing, according to documents filed Tuesday in Itasca County.
Roseville city officials say that more than 18,000 feet of copper wire was stolen.
Criminal charges have been dropped against two teenage brothers in connection to the fatal shooting of their 15-year-old cousin in Minneapolis this summer.
Police say an 18-year-old man is dead after he was shot on Tuesday night near Minneapolis' Little Earth of United Tribes housing area.
Last year, Minnesota lawmakers passed new protections after a young woman testified about contamination in her community just before she died. Her sister is now carrying on the fight to protect other families.
The Minnesota Department of Health and the United States Department of Agriculture say they have confirmed a total of 15 cases of E. coli related illnesses in Minnesota.
PFAS are forever chemicals used in everyday items like nonstick pans, dental floss and food packaging that can build up in our bodies and harm our health.
A new Minnesota state law requires school districts or charter schools to adopt a policy on the use of cellphones in school by March of next year. But one nonprofit has gotten a jump start, working with students to help them find a balance between devices in and out of school.
The Mayo Clinic says surgeons there successfully performed a face transplant for a Michigan man who was severely injured from a self-inflicted gunshot wound 10 years ago.
After almost a decade of "Disney on Ice" performances, a Minnesota native is eagerly anticipating his first show at the Xcel Energy Center.
Post Malone announced Tuesday that the "Big A** Stadium Tour" will come to U.S. Bank Stadium on May 20, 2025.
The much-hyped fight pitting the 58-year-old Tyson against Paul, 27, shattered records but was marred by tech glitches.
Betty White will be honored with a stamp in 2025, the U.S. Postal Service announced on Friday.
Mike Tyson, a boxing legend, and Jake Paul, a social media legend, threw down Friday in Dallas. Financially, they both came out winners.
RJ Barrett scored 31 points, Scottie Barnes added 17 points in his return from injury, and the Toronto Raptors won back-to-back games for the first time this season by beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 110-105.
The head coach of the University of St. Thomas' women's hockey team has resigned following an "incident," according to the school, which would not disclose the details of what occurred.
Parker Fox scored 16 points off the bench to spark Minnesota to a 58-47 win over Cleveland State.
Kirill Kaprizov scored a pair of third-period goals, and Jonas Brodin and Ryan Hartman also scored to help the Minnesota Wild beat the St. Louis Blues 4-2 on Tuesday night.
The Minnesota Vikings have been hounding quarterbacks all season and often without any extra help.
In this election, Klobuchar faired much better than all other Senate Democrats — she won by a significantly larger margin.
For Democrats the postmortem continues on why Vice President Kamala Harris and her Running mate Governor Tim Walz performed more poorly with almost every demographic than Joe Biden did in 2020. In Minnesota, Senator Amy Klobuchar did much better than Harris with some of those same groups.
As Election Day nears, experts say voters in Wisconsin and other battleground states will decide the 2024 presidential election winner.
As Election Day nears, experts say voters in Wisconsin and other battleground states will decide the 2024 presidential election winner.
As Election Day nears, experts say voters in Wisconsin and other battleground states will decide the 2024 presidential election winner.
There are a lot of quirky town names in Minnesota: Embarrass, Nowthen, Clontarff, Kiester. But the people of Nimrod believe their name stands out from the rest.
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The Fitzgerald Theater is the oldest active theater in St. Paul — but is it also haunted?
Wisconsin bars are known for their pints and their patrons. About the last thing you'd expect to discover in such a place would be 55 feet of historic American artwork.
Did you know Minnesota has a real castle? Miller Castle, near Nisswa.
This holiday season, you might pull out a Betty Crocker cookbook to find a tried and true recipe.
Krueger is the third-generation owner of Krueger's Christmas Tree Farm. While he finds joy in knowing the evergreens will make a family happy, they might not realize the effort it took to reach these towering heights.
As President-elect Donald Trump fills out his cabinet, there's one department for which he's yet to announce a leader. That could be because he promised it wouldn't exist after taking office.
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Grabbing a TV for a steal-of-a-deal is a popular move during the holiday season. This year, industry experts are expecting shoppers to go big — like really big.
Regions Hospital and Children's Minnesota share photos of their tiniest patients dressed to the nines for Halloween.
Minnesotans got a great view of the northern lights Thursday night due to the arrival of a severe geomagnetic storm.
Minnesotans got a great view of the northern lights Monday night.
Storms ripped through parts of Minnesota and western Wisconsin on Thursday evening. There were several reports of tornadoes and trees were downed in the metro and beyond, including in Cottage Grove, Anoka, Champlin and Fridley.
A powerful thunderstorm tore through the grounds of the Minnesota State Fair on Monday night, delaying Tuesday's opening.
Friday will be another cool and cloudy day, with Saturday following suit.
In Minnesota, weather can be all over the place. Here at WCCO, we want to give you what you need to prepare for what's happening next.
Friday will be another cool and cloudy day, with Saturday following suit, reports NEXT Weather Meteorologist Joseph Dames.
It's starting to stay chilly, with high temps in the 30s on Friday.
WCCO meteorologist Chris Shaffer has your latest forecast.
A Wisconsin man is accused of faking his death and then bolting to Eastern Europe, plus more of the day’s top stories.
An overturned tanker truck has closed down northbound Interstate 35W Friday morning in Lino Lakes.
Friday will be another cool and cloudy day, with Saturday following suit, reports NEXT Weather Meteorologist Joseph Dames.
It's starting to stay chilly, with high temps in the 30s on Friday.
It’s one of the nation’s most recognizable brands.