Trish Mehaffey, CR Gazette –
CEDAR RAPIDS – Four people charged in a large prostitution sting conducted in June pleaded guilty Wednesday in Linn County Associate District Court.
In all, 37 people were charged with prostitution, an aggravated misdemeanor, according to criminal complaints.
The four who pleaded guilty to prostitution Wednesday are: Stephen Baxley received a deferred sentence and unsupervised probation; Steven R. Baker, ; David R. Collins,; and Emma L. Beadel received a deferred sentence and unsupervised probation. Each also were ordered to pay a fine of $625 and court costs.
The others charged in the sting previously pleaded guilty to prostitution or pleaded not guilty and are set for trial.
Linn County Sheriff Brian Gardner said in June the sting operations took place at multiple hotels in Linn County. According to criminal complaints for some of the defendants charged, male and female undercover officers either sought or offered sex acts in exchange for money. Prices on the services ranged from $180 to $400, according to the complaints.
Gardner said officials first received information about possible prostitution in Linn County when officers worked on a similar bust in Coralville earlier this year. That sting netted 17 arrests. Authorities began investigating the case by placing ads on popular websites, but would not say which sites were used specifically.
So why did they plead guilty?
hey guys i just wanted to tell you that the news and media twistes everything even the above. Half these people were innocent. WHY ARE WE EVEN TALKIGN ABOUT THIS. LIKE FOR REAL PEOPLE ARE SO JUDGEMENTAL GET LIVES BECAUSE YOU NEED TO AIR OUT YOUR OWN CLOSEST BEFORE PASSING JUDGEMENT YOU ALL DONT SHARE THE WHOLE TRUTH. HALF THESE PEOPLE ARE INNOCENT. Iowas law is written if a guy buys a girl a drink then has sex with her if she promised it that is technically prostitution. even if that is your boyfriend that is legally by iowa law prostitution. But at strip clubs you can maw on some girls boobs and butt…..COME ON IOWA NO WONDER THESE GIRLIES AND GUYS DONT WANT TO GO THERE, some of the guys want privacy and dont want people in there buisness, and believe it or not they honestly just want a lap dance and the company of a pretty girl!!!!! The girls just want to stay away from the drugs at the clubs and the favortism……. THE CLUBS RUN RAMPID WITH DRUGS AND GIRLS DOING SO MUCH MORE IN THERE!!!!!! TRUST ME ON THAT ONE! So i guess alot of these girls want to escape the industry and dont know how…… BUT IOWA THATS ON YOU TO FIGURE THAT ONE OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! QUIT POSTING SHIT ALL OVER THE NEWS SOLVE THE PROBLEM DONT APPREHEND. THIS IS ALL FOR THE NEWS AND RATINGS ITS BRAINWASHING……IF YOU ALL GOTTA SELL PEOPLES MISTAKES OR NOT EVEN PROVEN MISTAKES FOR A LIVING, YOUR WAY FAR OFF THEN THESE POOR GIRLS AND GUYS. MOST CAME FROM BAD BROKEN BACKGROUNDS….. PICK UP THE PHONE GET IOWA INVOLVED AND STOP THIS…..GET THESE DANCERS HELP GETTING OUT OF THE INDUSTRY AND GET THEM ON THE RIGHT TRACK OR JUST CLOSE DOWN THE STRIP CLUBS ATTRACTING THIS