PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — As the Providence Police department continues its ongoing “Operation Backpage” undercover sting operation, the city announced seven more men arrested over the course of one day.
Undercover police officers masqueraded as women on the classified ads site Backpage.com, and on Sept. 25, seven men solicited the women for sex, arranging to meet the men at a local hotel, where they were arrested and charged with procurement of sexual conduct for a fee.
The following men are due to be arraigned at Sixth District Court on Oct. 13:
- Kimball Abbott, age 45, S. Dartmouth, MA
- Vaallah Brown, 24, Providence
- Rasheed Chinn, age 30, Wrentham, MA
- Michael Sadler, age 33, Bristol
- Robert Spiker, age 50, Bellingham, MA
- Jaime Tellez, age 45, Providence
- Orion Wellinghurst, 28, Bristol
“If you use Backpage.com to solicit sex in Providence, you had better watch your back,” said Mayor Jorge Elorza. He said while such online sites “have created a new mechanism for the sex trade, the Providence Police Department continues to meet those challenges head-on.
“Our investigators are working every day to bring to justice those who perpetuate and seek to profit from prostitution and provide support for the victims of sex trafficking.”
“Operation Backpage” has led to the arrest of 42 individuals since March 2015, the police said in a news release Wednesday.
