By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Following the shutdown of Backpage.com, authorities in Washington state wanted to find out where individuals who wanted to promote prostitution online might go and it didn’t take them long to find out.
“Just Google ‘Backpage replacements’,” Washington State Patrol Lt. James Mjor said.
This week, undercover detectives, in partnership with the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, did just that and in a one-day sting operation, arrested five men for second-degree promoting prostitution and five women for prostitution.
Officers had responded to online advertisements consistent with offers of sexual favors in exchange for money and had the targets meet them at a truck stop along Interstate 5 in Lewis County on Tuesday. Mjor declined to be more specific about the location, suggesting further stings might be conducted.
The goal was to rescue young girls caught up in the cycle of prostitution and human trafficking, according to the state patrol.
The five women who were contacted over a six-hour stretch were un-arrested as they appear to be victims of probable human trafficking, according to Mjor. Advocates from the Federal Bureau of Investigations were on scene to provide food, water, services and contact information for them.
“This is a positive collaborative effort to end the vicious cycle of human trafficking,” WSP Chief John R. Batiste stated in a press release. “This operation not only helps protect the victims of human trafficking but also safeguards our communities from criminal activity.”
Federal authorities seized the web site Backpage.com earlier this month. The site’s adult-oriented personal ads have been controversial, with allegations from Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson for example, that the business encouraged the use of language that would attract customers for illicit activity, promoted payment methods that made transactions untraceable, stripped metadata to impair law enforcement’s ability to find victims and even deleted “sting ads” posted by law enforcement.
One of the five men was also “un-arrested” as it appeared he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, in a vehicle, Mjor said.
Three of the men they let go, pending further investigation, he said. Additional arrests and criminal charges are possible.
One of the arrestees, a 37-year-old from Spanaway, was booked into the Lewis County Jail. David P. Campagnola was charged in Lewis County Superior Court yesterday with two felonies: second-degree promoting prostitution and possession of methamphetamine.
Charging papers in the case allege he was the driver of a vehicle which brought a female to a commissioned undercover operative at the truck stop, a female who allegedly agreed to charge $200 for “full sex”.
She said Campagnola was her friend. Campagnola said she was his wife.
He told officers when he was interviewed they were both meth addicts and homeless and she earned all the money by hustling, Lewis County Chief Deputy Criminal Prosecutor Brad Meagher wrote in charging documents.
Campagnola’s criminal history includes 13 felony convictions, including two strike offenses, that date back to the year 2000. He was just released from prison around March 15, according to Meagher.
He was ordered held without bail because he got mouthy in front of the judge, according to Meagher. His arraignment is scheduled for next week.
Lewis County Sheriff Rob Snaza said in a press release that Tuesday’s work was an example of the great working partnerships among law enforcement in the area.
“This operation allowed us the ability to reach out and offer support and resources to victims, and hold those who facilitate these crimes accountable for their actions,” Snaza stated.
Tuesday’s action was part of what’s dubbed “Operation Human Freight”, an effort that included also the Centralia Police Department, Lewis County’s Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team, the Lakewood Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations and Washington State Patrol’s Commercial Vehicle Division.
It was the second such effort this year. In March within an hour and a half in Fife, detectives made 14 arrests of which four were pimps, Mjor said.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
What? Jnet makes tons of money, they steal gold bars, loose cash at residences, and resell the drugs, cars, grow equipment back on to the street. It is probably the most profitable LE task force. On top of that selective enforcement ensures certain individuals never get caught.
Actually JNET was not the one conducting the sting. The women were maybe women who are desperate and see no other way to survive. However, by doing this sting they may have helped these women find a different way. I doubt however they were very poor as there is $$ in the business.
The suspect had 13 feloniy convictions at age 37. This is obviously a person who cannot live in society and play by the rules. I realize only two of those felonies were part of the three strikes law (2 strikes so far) and in WA the three felony strike law applies to violent crimes only (except for child sex charges and then it is two strikes) but he has plainly demonstrated that he cannot live among people who do obey the law and live productive lives.
Big pimpin up in Lewis County?!
Boy jnet is sure a flop. Hugely over funded and the best they can do on this given day was to provide an assist for a completely lame sting of very poor desperate people. What a waste of time. It’s time to clean house.
Get em. They are everywhere. Those poor women. And what about hygiene. I sure hope everyone is tested. People need to be more aware of what is happening around them. As an addiction specialist, I have heard some horrific personal Stories. My eyes were opened. Frustrating that folks just look the other way. Thank you for this Amazing “cuff”!