Florida Police Bust Internet Prostitution Ring
Wed Jun 19,10:43 AM ET

TAMPA, Fla. (Reuters) - Police in Florida said on Wednesday they had broken up an Internet prostitution ring that was operating in the United States, Britain, Canada, France and Germany.

 
The Tampa-based Web site, bigdoggie.net, allowed prostitutes to advertise and arrange dates with customers, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. Some of the dates with adult movie star actresses cost as much as $17,000 a night, the sheriff's office said.

As part of the two-year investigation, detectives posted a fictitious ad on the Web site for "Lia Nice" using a photo of a bikini-clad female informant.

The ad, which offered the woman's services for $300 an hour, attracted thousands of responses and six men were arrested for solicitation. They agreed to cooperate in the investigation.

The sheriff's office said Charles Kelly, 51, of Tampa, Florida, and Steve Lipson, 39, of Boca Raton, Florida, were arrested and charged with running the service and 21 women in the Tampa area were arrested on prostitution charges.

This is being discussed in the General Discussin board. It doesn't really have much impact on San Diego right now.

Just reinforces the need to exercise care and discretion.

I have talk to Charlie a few times on the phone. He's really a nice guy and totally cool. Those cops are such a**holes!!!!!!!

One less competitor for TER, and a bunch of crooks behind bars.
-Nolie

Regardless of what you may think about the owners of that site, as you are of course entitled to your opinion, I see this as a blow (and not a good kind of blow, at that) to all of us. No matter what ends up happening to TBD and its owners, the very idea that the spotlight has been placed by the media on this hobby as it exists in message board forums, in general, is not good news in any way, shape, or form...not to mention the idea that rejoicing in someone else's bad fortune is just plain bad karma...isn't it?

I wanted to respond to nolie's post yesterday, but I wanted to honor the wishes of staff. Yes, they were a competitor. But, I doubt if they took away much business from TER. I personally only visited the site 1 or 2 times and just didn't care for it. To each his own. Now, the light may be on TER. BUMMER!!!
  If we get any newbies from the other site, welcome them.

No one's rejoicing here, I just don't give a shit about a bunch of loser criminals down in Florida. I most certainly disagree with you - those people that were arrested deserve it; they are nothing more than pimps and panderers. What do they do for the hobby and how do they benefit the hobbyist? Simply put, they don't! They use violence to enforce their business agreements, they severely beat women who are not sycophantic towards them,
and they support the countless dash/dance/rip-off scams that are so prevalent in today's market for prostitution. They are the cruel Cancer of the hobby. You talk about a spotlight; why do you think prostitution is unlawful? Do you think that public policy makers are concerned with the welfare of women who elect to perform sexual favors for a living?  Of course they aren’t; they are most certainly more concerned about the  violence
that it breeds and the impact that this violence has on the community. Those people which you support are the reason there is such a spotlight on this so called ‘hobby.’
-Nolie

WHOA there! I've heard quite a few foul rumors out there--but the owners of TBD beating women who don't show the appropriate adulation and using violence to enforce business agreements? "Pay for that banner b*tch, or I'll beat your ass?"
Hmmmm...though I don't have any personal experience with purchasing advertising space on that site...I must say that I've never heard anything like that! LOL

I believe that those making the "pimping" allegations were doing so figuratively and using the term very loosly and quite incorrectly...there was no violence and beatings alleged anywhere that I've seen. I don't know what in the world you are talking about. The owners of TBD weren't accused of violently beating their advertisers! Now there's a new and nasty rumor for us (as if we need any new rumors in this hobby.) Yikes!

Not to mention the fact that I'm not sure why anyone would want to make a post in a public forum that infers this hobby is related to the prostitution market. Hmmmmmm....What an awful thing to say! "Women who elect to perform sexual favors for a living?" I'm not certain of whom you are referring when you use this phrase--as it definitely does not pertain to me. I can't speak for you and your activities--but I am most certainly not involved in anything illicit.



-- Modified on 6/23/2002 8:45:50 AM

I must say that I admire your interpretation of the statement I made. It  was creative to say the least. I actually got a kick out of what you said: “Pay for the banner bitch,or I’ll beat your ass.” Now that’s funny! Of course that’s not what I meant, so this time, I’ll try to express myself a bit more clearly.

The individuals at TBD were NOT arrested for operating a web site - and if you check the booking slips that are linked on the main board you will see this for yourself - they were, however, arrested for multiple counts of pimping, pandering, and
racketeering - three charges that are often handed down when prostitution rings (which are in effect organized crime operations) are dissolved. The good folks at TBD didn’t just run banner adds for prostitutes, they contracted  sexual services and
profited from doing so - simply put, they were pimps. This can’t be difficult to understand.

Now that we’ve established that the good folks down in Florida are/were pimps, let’s discuss pimping and the violence that it engenders. Pimps are generally known for the violent manner in which they treat their ladies (prostitutes), are they not? I’ve
read numerous articles and viewed countless documentaries that support the fact that pimps advocate, endorse, and use violence in order to support and promote business activity. I’m sure that there is a slew of information related to the practices of pimping available on the Web - do a search. It certainly is no secret that pimps often brutally beat their prostitutes - sometimes to the point of death - in order to maintain their operations. These are the types of people that you are sticking up for? Come on now, get a hold of yourself. To these people, women are nothing more than a capital investment, which they depreciate as the years go by.

Finally, please don’t  insult my intelligence, as I have not done so to you. Only God knows - but it seems clear from what is published on this web site, and even on your own, that men are not paying you $300.00 to spend an hour watching your candles
burn.
-Nolie    

I also read the charges against TBD and did not see anything related to violence. Please remember that the reviews on this site are pure fiction and are for entertainment purposes only. Any provider found on this board only offers her time in exchange for what you give her. Anything that may happen between to consenting adults is perfectly legal.

check out officer nolie trying to get girls to incriminate here and post stuff on the board you and your LE buddies can print and keep in the file in case you ever can get to the girls? Trying to get a post out of girls in public that agrees they are guilty of something. Give it up its a cheep tactic. some of these girls aren't dumb. get lost officer nolie

-- Modified on 6/26/2002 12:24:42 PM

I hate to disappoint you Machiavelli - but I am in no way, shape, or form part of any law enforcement organization. Do you really think that law enforcemrnt personnel would employ such techniques to bag some over priced hookers? Come on now, don't you think that you are being just a tad bit silly here? "Officer Nolie?" "Trying to get girls to incriminate themselves?" You must be kiding. Anyway, maybe my disgust for pimps and like minded people has perturbed you. If so, I apologize.
-Nolie

I hate to disappoint you Machiavelli - but I am in no way, shape, or form part of any law enforcement organization. Do you really think that law enforcemrnt personnel would employ such techniques to bag some over priced hookers? Come on now, don't you think that you are being just a tad bit silly here? "Officer Nolie?" "Trying to get girls to incriminate themselves?" You must be kiding. Anyway, maybe my disgust for pimps and like minded people has perturbed you. If so, I apologize.
-Nolie

From Merriam-Webtser Online ...

Main Entry: wife
Pronunciation: 'wIf
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural wives  /'wIvz/
Etymology: Middle English wif, from Old English wIf; akin to Old High German wIb wife
Date: before 12th century
1 a dialect : WOMAN b : a woman acting in a specified capacity -- used in combination "fishwife:
2 : a female partner in a marriage
3 : a woman who performs sexual favors for a living

Let's see: I've bought her a house, a car, jewelry, countless shoes.  Sounds like a good living to me.  Yep.  Better call SDPD.

dont you get it. theyre trying to tell you to be more discrete on the board. whatever you do is whatever you do. waving it in le's face is what pisses them off. youre not that stupid are you? you still smell funny to me bro

Two logical fallacies I see evidence of in your argument.

TBD is pimping girls. According to research, pimps often beat their hookers (providers). TBD advertises for providers. Therefore, TBD is beating provider.

You might want to review the logical fallacy page before making your next argument against TBD as this one is surely faulty. http://www.datanation.com/fallacies/index.htm

For the record, I have no interest in TBD, never been there, never advertised there, never posted there, never met, spoke to or e-mailed any of the principals there. Still, I think calling them woman beaters is a big stretch. Pimp - maybe so.

As far as the "men aren't paying to watch your candles burn" crack you made to Ashlee, I think we all know why the providers are "providing" and what the hobbyists are after. However, in this time of SDPD stings (which, let's face it is pretty much ALL the time) there is no need to elaborate or taunt providers into incriminating themselves with the printed word. If you think she's overpriced (which I believe you alluded to) or have some other sort of problem with her, you should quit beating around the bush and spit it out.