Across Nassau County, residents are reacting with mixed emotions to the Nassau County District Attorney’s recent arrests of more than 100 men for soliciting prostitutes, including three from Hicksville, four from Levittown, eight from Wantagh and East Meadow, and one from Bethpage. The DA’s office not only arrested the men, but made public their names and photographs.
But for as shocking as these very public revelations may be, some local residents seem nonplussed by the whole incident.
“Personally, I think prostitution should be legal so it doesn’t bother or surprise me much,” said 32-year-old Arielle Gallagher. “However, it should still be regulated through the government for safety and preventive measures.”
The arrests came after a month-long undercover sting conducted by the DA’s office and the police department. “Operation Flush the Johns” was the first of its kind in Nassau County. In the last 10 years, police have arrested fewer than 40 johns. While prostitutes are regularly the prime targets of investigations, those soliciting them are overlooked.
“The johns who fuel the exploitation are treated as mere witnesses,” said Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said. “My office and the police department are turning the tables on the illogical and immoral nature of that equation.”
The men were caught after they responded to escort service ads posted by undercover police on Backpage.com. When the men came to the hotel or motel rooms they were met by male and female officers posing as prostitutes. Hidden cameras that had been installed in the rooms captured visual and audio footage and once money was offered for sex, the arrests were made.
The men came from all over Long Island and ranged in profession, ethnicity and age. The youngest arrested was 17, and the oldest was 79, with the average age being around 40. All of the defendants have been arraigned and pleaded not guilty to Patronizing a Prostitute in the Third Degree. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum of one year in jail.
Some people have criticized the DA’s office for releasing the names and pictures of the accused, some of whom are respected professionals and fathers. Regardless of the sentence handed down by the courts, these alleged perpetrators potentially face wrath and disdain from spouses, children, colleagues and friends. However, Rice said that people have a right to know whom their prosecutors and police are arresting.
“Nobody raises an issue when we put out public information on people accused of financial scams, of corruption, of all sorts of comparable crimes. Why should we give them unprecedented anonymity,” Rice said. “There are not two sets of rules for the cases I make.”
The DA’s office says statistics show prostitution is on the rise in the county. The arrests came after a month-long undercover sting conducted by the DA’s office and the police department. “Operation Flush the Johns” was the first of its kind in Nassau County. In the last 10 years, police have arrested fewer than 40 johns, compared to 1169 prostitution arrests in the last nine years (with 155 of those prostitution arrests in 2013). While prostitutes are regularly the prime targets of investigations, those soliciting them are overlooked.
Rice said negative publicity would deter johns.
“We know the commission of this specific crime is dramatically affected by the perceived risk of getting caught,” Rice said. “Why should we give them secrecy when we know that this crime specifically is often best prevented by these types of publicity events that make people think of the potential consequences of their actions? Giving secrecy won’t deter future johns; it would embolden them. We want them to think twice and these efforts encourage that.”
Despite its illegality, other residents, particularly younger ones, seem less outraged over the seeming plague of prostitution arrests yielded by this sting.
“It certainly doesn’t help the community’s image for local residents to be caught doing something like that,” opined 22-year-old Kevin Koslo. “Still, though, I guess it could be worse.”
And while the public may now have access to the names and faces of the alleged criminals, Brian Griffin, Chair of the Nassau County Bar Association Criminal Court Law & Procedure Committee, said it’s important to remember that all of the 104 men are innocent until proven guilty.
“It’s merely allegations at this point and the criminal justice system should be allowed to take over and the cases should be tried in the court of law and not in the public opinion,” Griffin said. “While it may be interesting to talk about, it’s very serious.”
While this is the first such sting, it may not be the last. The DA’s office says they will continue to actively address prostitution in Nassau County.
“The DA plans to continue to prosecute johns who fuel the demand,” said John Byrne, director of communications and policy for the DA’s office. “This sting certainly puts potential johns on notice that there’s a good chance they’ll be caught if they attempt to patronize a prostitute.”
Dave Gil de Rubio and Stephen Levine contributed to this story.
