VILLAGE OF ROTHSCHILD, WI (WSAU) — Officials with the Rothschild Police Department netted eight individuals in the last few weeks on prostitution charges after posting a fake ad online for services in the area.
Detective Brad Johnson is handling the case for the Village Police and says while these incidents are often called stings, they really aren’t semi-annual or annual operations. “We regularly do these investigations as time permits and as we have the manpower. We like to keep tabs on it and remind people that we are here and that activity is illegal, we don’t want it in our community,” he said.
Prostitution may be more common in our are than people realize. Johnson says even though websites like backpage and craigslist have removed their forums for relationships or dating, that doesn’t mean there aren’t still options available to advertise for these services. “There are other websites that picked up where Craigslist left off,” he adds.
In this case, Johnson and his staff posted an ad that mimicked others often seen online. Eight individuals responded to the ad and were cited for soliciting, which in the Village of Rothschild carries a fine of around $1,900. Some were also cited for other offenses as well including drug-related offenses. Many of those cited were from Central Wisconsin including Stevens Point, Wausau, and Marshfield.
The punishments for soliciting a prostitute varies based on the municipality the crime occurs in. Depending on the circumstances surrounding the event, criminal charges against those soliciting could be filed as well.
Officials with the Wausau School District are investigating if one of their own was caught in the trap. The log lists Michael A Schwei as one of those cited. The district released the following statement following word of Tuesday’s claims: “This afternoon, the Wausau School District was made aware by a media outlet that a District employee may have been cited for soliciting prostitution. The District takes these allegations seriously and will immediately conduct an inquiry and investigation.”
