Prostitution Crackdown in Roseville Has One Adult Escort Thinking Twice

“Beth,” a 21-year-old adult escort based out of Minneapolis, promises “pure relaxation” and a “great, private in-call shower” in her ads on websites such as Backpage.com.

She said she “goes out to Roseville every once in awhile” but has been cautious about the city since she noticed a rash of arrests about a year ago.

“I had a girlfriend who did have some trouble out there,” she said. “The cops came and got her; I don’t remember the exact scenario.”

For Corey Yunke, Roseville’s crime analyst, hesitant escorts are evidence that the police department’s strategy of targeted stings is working.

There have been more than 50 incidents related to prostitution in Roseville in 2012 and more than 30 arrests, according to police data.

“When we call, they’re not even interested in doing anything in Roseville,” Yunke said. “It doesn’t necessarily erase it, but it pushes it out of Roseville. If they’re afraid to go to Roseville, that’s a good thing.”

Yunke said about half of the department’s prostitution-related arrests have been of johns.

“The arresting process for johns can be controlled “easier” by posing as an illegal escort service and arresting on site,” he wrote in an email. “Whereas, prostitutes are found by third-party complaints, ads posted by prostitutes/pimps, ad hoc observation, etc.”

Beth, the adult escort with Roseville experience, said that she’s been working on and off for about two years.

“I had a lot of ex-girlfriends who were doing the whole stripper thing, and a couple of us started working as escorts,” she said. “Some of them have stayed with it and others have moved into the sugar daddy thing.”

Beth, a Mankato native, said that while she herself had never been arrested, younger, greener escorts are more susceptible to being picked up by police.

“Phone conversations are a big [trap],” she said. “You need to be able to phrase things correctly, have a general vibe. You need to be able to leave if things don’t feel right.”