13 arrested in paid-sex sting

By Daniel Kittredge
Posted 2/4/16

Cranston police on Feb. 4 announced the arrest of 13 men following a joint sting operation targeting online prostitution.

According to a statement from Chief of Police Col. Michael Winquist, …

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13 arrested in paid-sex sting

Posted

Cranston police on Feb. 4 announced the arrest of 13 men following a joint sting operation targeting online prostitution.

According to a statement from Chief of Police Col. Michael Winquist, detectives and agents set up “at an undisclosed location in Cranston” on Jan. 29.

The statement indicates the focus of the operation was on “attacking the demand side of prostitution” – those responding to advertisements posted by escorts on Backpage.com.

Undercover detectives are said to have posed as prostitutes on the website, drawing responses soliciting sex.

Among those charged with procurement of sexual conduct for a fee were three Johnston residents: Kyle Gravel, 22, of 394 George Waterman Road; Douglas Carpenter, 61, of 10 Woodlake Drive; Jason Hiatt, 39, of 2732 Hartford Ave.

Other Rhode Island residents facing the same charge are Louis Parente, 52, of 2 Woodhaven Boulevard in North Providence; Jason McWilliams, 42, of 70 Grandview Drive in Cumberland; Dina Seng, 45, of 209 Wendell St. in Providence; and Andrew DeSilva, 25, 9 Oakland Road, in Richmond.

David Monte, 36, of 18 Willow Drive in Smithfield, is charged with counts of procurement of sexual conduct for a fee, possession of cocaine, and possession of marijuana.

Three Massachusetts men are also charged with procurement of sexual conduct for a fee: Joseph Viera, 59, of 299 Providence St. in Rehoboth; Suragi Bhattacharjee, 43, of 17 Oriole Circle in Shrewsbury; and Thomas Valaouras, 51, of 11 Columbus Ave. in Milford. Valaouras was additionally charged with one count of simple assault.

All 13 men were arraigned and released with a Feb. 18 court date, according to Winquist’s statement.

The Cranston Police Department Special Victims Unit, the Rhode Island Human Trafficking Task Force, FBI, and Providence Police Department took part in the operation.

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