Tulsa Prostitutes Go Hi-Tech

The world's oldest profession has gone hi-tech. Tulsa police busted two people Thursday for prostitution after finding an ad on the Internet.<br/> <br/>One police officer told News on 6 reporter Omar

Friday, January 5th 2007, 6:35 pm

By: News On 6

The world's oldest profession has gone hi-tech. Tulsa police busted two people Thursday for prostitution after finding an ad on the Internet.

One police officer told News on 6 reporter Omar Villafranca that as technology evolves, so does old-fashioned crime.

Prostitutes don't just stroll the street looking for their next trick. Tulsa police recently busted 26 year-old Elizabeth Link and her husband Jermaine on prostitution charges. Officers found them on the Internet.

"I'm not surprised by it at all," Tulsa Police Corporal Shellie Wood said.

Corporal Wood patrols the streets arresting street prostitutes and their "johns." But recently, her police work has her patrolling the Internet looking for sex workers online.

"There are people who put up their own webpages, they're massage parlors, or massage businesses that do outcalls, which are a typical sign of prostitution," said Corporal Wood.

Corporal Wood says dozens of websites, advertising intimate encounters, have become the new street corner for hi-tech hookers.

Tulsa police say prostitutes still advertise by walking the streets, but they have also busted prostitutes who've advertised in the newspaper and the phonebook.

Corporal Wood says anywhere an advertisement can go up, a prostitute can find a customer.

As the world's oldest profession goes digital officers say making arrests requires more work. But they're doing their best to keep up.

"It makes it more difficult to make arrests because you have to have more dialogue, with the person, sometimes they set up webcams, so the police department has to be high tech, too," Corporal Wood said.

Police say they still arrest street walking sex workers. Just a few months ago, officers say during 3 operations, they nabbed 40 prostitutes and their â€œjohnsâ€ in one Tulsa neighborhood.