Salem police bust hooker 'training' ring
By Andrew Hickey
Staff writer
SALEM — Detectives yesterday raided a Loring Avenue apartment that two men were allegedly using as a "training center" for teenage prostitutes.
For the past several months, Usauf Glover, 23, of Salem, and Allen Keeton, 22, of Las Vegas, were allegedly meeting teen girls at underage clubs on the North Shore. The duo would befriend the teens and after a few weeks ask them if they wanted to make some "easy money" prostituting themselves on the streets of Boston, Salem Detective Thomas Brennan said. They would tell the teens that they would only have to talk to their customers.
If the girls agreed, they were brought to the Loring Towers, 1000 Loring Ave., to what Brennan called a makeshift "training center." Inside apartment 74C, the men would show the girls instructional videos on pimping and prostitution, as well as assorted pornography and other explicit materials. They would also give them pointers, including asking a potential customer if he is a police officer before getting into his car.
Some of that material, along with "records of prostitution activity" and narcotics, were found during yesterday's search, according to a police report.
So far, Brennan said, three girls from various North Shore cities and towns have reported working for Glover and Keeton or being asked to work for them.
Investigators learned of the teenage prostitution ring Sunday after the three girls — one is 14 and two are 15 — and their mothers asked to meet a police officer about a man who lives in Loring Towers "trying to coerce them into prostitution," according to a police report. The descriptions the girls gave led police to Glover and Keeton.
Brennan said not all of the girls reported engaging in sexual acts for money.
"Some went along with it, others didn't," he said.
That initial report prompted the two-day investigation that led to yesterday's arrests.
Brennan said both Glover and Keeton are charged with three counts each of inducing a minor into prostitution and disseminating harmful matter to a minor. Details about the men's arraignment were not available late last night.
Brennan said Glover, who lists addresses at the Loring Avenue apartment and at 173 Boston St., was the ringleader. Keeton, who recently arrived from Las Vegas, was typically in charge of driving the girls into Boston in a Ford Taurus, which has been seized by detectives.
"They were driving them into Boston and pimping them on the street," Brennan said.
Detectives also found three bus tickets to Las Vegas inside the Loring Avenue apartment, indicating the men were planning to leave town, possibly with one of the girls, Brennan said.
Lynn Detective Joseph Chadbourne assisted Salem in the investigation, which may have a connection to his city, Brennan said. Lynn police have charged Glover with statutory rape in connection with the case.
Brennan said the investigation will continue and that there could be more victims.
"I have a feeling there's going to be more," he said.
Brennan and Chadbourne were assisted by Detective Lt. Thomas Griffin, Sgt. Peter Shaffaval and Patrolman Mark Fabiscewski.
:L: Hooker training school.....
By Andrew Hickey
Staff writer
SALEM — Detectives yesterday raided a Loring Avenue apartment that two men were allegedly using as a "training center" for teenage prostitutes.
For the past several months, Usauf Glover, 23, of Salem, and Allen Keeton, 22, of Las Vegas, were allegedly meeting teen girls at underage clubs on the North Shore. The duo would befriend the teens and after a few weeks ask them if they wanted to make some "easy money" prostituting themselves on the streets of Boston, Salem Detective Thomas Brennan said. They would tell the teens that they would only have to talk to their customers.
If the girls agreed, they were brought to the Loring Towers, 1000 Loring Ave., to what Brennan called a makeshift "training center." Inside apartment 74C, the men would show the girls instructional videos on pimping and prostitution, as well as assorted pornography and other explicit materials. They would also give them pointers, including asking a potential customer if he is a police officer before getting into his car.
Some of that material, along with "records of prostitution activity" and narcotics, were found during yesterday's search, according to a police report.
So far, Brennan said, three girls from various North Shore cities and towns have reported working for Glover and Keeton or being asked to work for them.
Investigators learned of the teenage prostitution ring Sunday after the three girls — one is 14 and two are 15 — and their mothers asked to meet a police officer about a man who lives in Loring Towers "trying to coerce them into prostitution," according to a police report. The descriptions the girls gave led police to Glover and Keeton.
Brennan said not all of the girls reported engaging in sexual acts for money.
"Some went along with it, others didn't," he said.
That initial report prompted the two-day investigation that led to yesterday's arrests.
Brennan said both Glover and Keeton are charged with three counts each of inducing a minor into prostitution and disseminating harmful matter to a minor. Details about the men's arraignment were not available late last night.
Brennan said Glover, who lists addresses at the Loring Avenue apartment and at 173 Boston St., was the ringleader. Keeton, who recently arrived from Las Vegas, was typically in charge of driving the girls into Boston in a Ford Taurus, which has been seized by detectives.
"They were driving them into Boston and pimping them on the street," Brennan said.
Detectives also found three bus tickets to Las Vegas inside the Loring Avenue apartment, indicating the men were planning to leave town, possibly with one of the girls, Brennan said.
Lynn Detective Joseph Chadbourne assisted Salem in the investigation, which may have a connection to his city, Brennan said. Lynn police have charged Glover with statutory rape in connection with the case.
Brennan said the investigation will continue and that there could be more victims.
"I have a feeling there's going to be more," he said.
Brennan and Chadbourne were assisted by Detective Lt. Thomas Griffin, Sgt. Peter Shaffaval and Patrolman Mark Fabiscewski.
:L: Hooker training school.....
