...the problem is that we have nobody to report these crimes to, IMO.
I've gotten some of my best clients from BP. Sure I have to wade through comparably more riffraff, but there are good guys & bad guys everywhere, even here. Until we have a way to safely report crimes against us without risking our own arrest and our privacy, this will continue to happen... and it happens a lot more frequently than most people think. I see dozens of new posts every day on different blacklists, and those are just the ones that get reported.
Ladies, I would very strongly suggest that you get involved at a local studio that teaches practical women's self defense - I'm not talking the kick-him-in-the-balls-and-run type of self defense, I'm talking about techniques that will help you keep from getting punched, choked, stabbed, etc. If anyone needs a referral they are welcome to contact me.
Predators look for easy victims. If you don't act like easy prey, they won't fuck with you. This goes from the way you conduct yourself when communicating with potential clients, all the way to your body language & air of confidence during a session. Plus, if you actually KNOW that you can defend yourself, you will project a calm-but-confident attitude that is pretty difficult to fake.
And as far as screening goes... bad guys don't get their foot in the door by saying they're bad guys. This is why it's important for us to listen to our instincts & pay attention to those red flags.
Stay safe out there ladies. A violent client can cost you a lot more than the few bills you're turning down by refusing that one appointment.