Nine arrested in Internet sex ring

Seven women in Eastern North Carolina were recently arrested for allegedly using the Internet to sell sex to undercover Lenoir County Sheriff's Office detectives.

According to Maj. Chris Hill of the Lenoir County Sheriff's Office, law enforcement was first notified in November 2007 by an anonymous tip that several women were using the Craigslist Web site to solicit sex.

Seven women were charged in the sting from offenses dating from Nov. 8, 2007, to April 17 of this year. Takia Latoya Garret, 22, of 4-A Carver Courts, Sharon Lynn Roberts, 43, of 308 E. Railroad St., La Grange, Naomi AnnaLee Davis, 19, of 201 Winfall Blvd., Winfall, Cathy Michelle Florence, 34, of 2843 Lot 22 S. N.C. 87, Graham, Barbara Margaret Crane, 25, of 312 Riggs Road, Hubert, and Serina Marie Sons, 27, of 1316 N. Carolina St., Goldsboro, were each charged with one count of solicit for prostitution. Wendy Sau Militello, 32, of 19 S. 12 Street, Wilmington, was charged with one county solicit for prostitution, one count of felony possession of cocaine and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia, according to information compiled by Lenoir County Detective Chris Jenkins.

Two men - Thomas Barnett Deramus, 49, of 2607 Fremont Road, Durham, and Kenneth Allen Melton, 4238 Harbor Ridge Road, Greensboro - were also arrested in the sting, Hill said. Deramus was charged with providing transportation for prostitution and Melton was charged with soliciting prostitution.

All nine people arrested were released after posting bond, Hill said. The arrests were made during the past seven months. 

The Web site www.craigslist.org offers services such as local classifieds and forums for jobs, housing, items for sale and personal ads.

Several women used the Craigslist's personal ad feature to post pictures of themselves and a list of services.

Hill said that undercover narcotics officers went to the Craigslist Web site and set up meetings with the local women that were offering erotic services for a price. The undercover officer then set up a meeting with the women.

"Once the services and price were agreed upon, the suspect would then be arrested for soliciting prostitution," Hill said.

Hill said law enforcement will continue to monitor Craigslist and additional Internet Web sites, which women are using to market prostitution. According to Hill, the women arrested were from Eastern North Carolina towns from Goldsboro to Wilmington.

"We always have people monitoring these sites," Hill said. "There are local women with ads on the site as we speak. They can reach a wider audience without standing on a street corner."

 Finding and arresting prostitutes is not a priority for local law enforcement for a fairly simple reason, Hill said: It's hard to find enough manpower to fight the battle against "the oldest profession in the world."

Staff writer Vanessa C. Shortley contributed to this report. Jon Dawson can be reached at (252) 559-1083 or at jdawson@freedomenc.com. Chris Lavender can be reached at (252) 559-1078 or at clavender@freedomenc.com.