Online Prostitution Sting Nets 6 Arrests

Written by Bryan Littel, Cherry Hill Patch editor

Four prostitutes and two johns were arrested in a joint operation involving the FBI, Mount Laurel Police and Cherry Hill Police targeting online prostitution earlier this summer, Cherry Hill Police announced Thursday.

The monthlong investigation, which ended May 25, focused on women who claimed to be escorts using backpage.com to solicit johns, police said, in an effort to cut down on prostitution and related crimes around local hotels and motels.

Of those arrested, three were from Camden County, one was from Burlington County and the others were Philadelphia residents.

Charged with engaging in prostitution in the sting were:

• Heather Lynn Moore, 31, of the 2000 block of Sycamore Avenue in Haddon Heights
• Amber Hopkins, 24, of the 2600 block of East Allegheny Avenue in Philadelphia
• Mary Hentz, 24, of the 300 block of Garnett Drive in Burlington
• Michele Andrea Lee, 23, of the 100 block of Devon Avenue in Bellmawr

Charged with promoting prostitution in the sting were:

• William Jordan, 39, of the 1500 block of Lucas Lane in Voorhees
• Asif Baksh, 24, of the 5200 block of Ditman Street in Philadelphia

Hentz and Lee were also charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance and possession of controlled dangerous substance paraphernalia, and were also arrested on open warrants.

Jordan was additionally charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance and possession of controlled dangerous substance paraphernalia.

Mount Laurel Police have been aggressive in cracking down on prostitution at township hotels and motels, including a sting last year that netted 12 arrests.

The Cherry Hill arrests are the second prostitution-related charges announced this week by Cherry Hill Police. Officers on Monday arrested a man police said was pimping his girlfriend after he allegedly beat her and kidnapped her from Pennsauken with the help of a cab driver.

Officers also broke up an alleged brothel earlier this year, which police said had been running out of a home on Oak Avenue.