More Stings to Follow Marion Prostitution Arrests?

A "reverse" prostitution sting that ended in the arrest of nine people, including a Marion man and a Cedar Rapids pastor, is not a sign that Marion has a prostitution problem, the city's police chief says.

"We are trying to be proactive," said Marion Police Chief Harry Daugherty. "I am not going to say there is never any prostitution going on in Marion, but I am not aware of it."

Friday, Oct. 14, the Marion Police Department staked out an undisclosed location for eight hours, arresting nine men who came in response to sexually suggestive internet advertisements written by undercover police officers.

Daugherty said the idea of the sting was to deter would-be prostitutes and johns from getting comfortable. It's something they have done before and will do again, though no plans have been made.

"The main reason we do them is to make sure people know that we are just not going to tolerate this in the city of Marion," he said.

In addition to using a sting to prevent prostitution from taking hold in Marion, Daugherty said the police action was taken in response to an overall increase in prostitution, or at least an increase in availability of prostitution, through the internet. He said the perceived feeling of anonymity and accessibility that comes with online prostitution entices those who might be scared to risk searching for prostitutes the old-fashioned way: outdoors.

"Now [prostitution] is widely seen because you don't have to have people walking the streets anymore," he said. "Naturally, there is more of it."

The nine arrested men — including 40-year-old Marion resident Gregory Stroyls and the senior pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Cedar Rapids, Jonathan Offt — responded to a "sexually suggestive" advertisement placed on various websites by undercover officers. 

Offt did not return a message seeking comment, and Stroyls said he has no comment.

Trinity Church has posted the following statement on its website:

“Trinity Lutheran Church and School is saddened by the most recent news story regarding Jonathan Offt. The proper authorities are handling the situation. The church and school request your prayers for all involved. We have no further comments at this time."

Still, some residents in the area aren't comfortable with the procedure that resulted in the arrests.

Jim Sheronich, 61, said he thinks the sting may keep prostituion away from Marion, but that it might move the problem elsewhere. He said he's also concerned that the sting comes close to entrapment.

"You are kind of enticing people, maybe getting them to do something they woudn't otherwise," he said.

All nine men went to the undisclosed site of the sting in an eight-hour period. Each was arrested and charged with one count of prostitution, an aggravated misdemeanor.

Daugherty said the Marion Police Department started training police officers in cyber crimes and computer forensics three years ago. He said these skills are especially important as technology evolves.

"The internet has made this — when it comes to pornography or escorts or however you want to call it — so easily available to a citizen now, I think it is just going to get worse," he said. "It might take three clicks to get to these sites but in the future it could be two."