6 men arrested in Rochester prostitution investigation
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(ABC 6 News) – Rochester police arrested six men Tuesday on suspicion of engaging in prostitution, Capt. Casey Moilanen said.
The Rochester Police department partnered with the Olmsted County Attorney’s Office and Safe Harbor, a nonprofit that supports victims of human trafficking.
RELATED: New process for identifying human trafficking in Olmsted County – ABC 6 News – kaaltv.com
RPD arrested the following men in an undisclosed area of Rochester:
- Russell Hodge, 46, of Hayfield
- Justin Hitt, 29, of Pine Island
- David Thorland, 68, of Thompson, Iowa
- Thomas Klees, 43, of Rochester
- Darryl Franklin, 54, of Rochester
- Arnaldo Mercado-Perez, 27, of Rochester
Each of the men faces a possible charge of engaging in prostitution in a public space.
Moilanen said none of the men are suspected of engaging in human trafficking.
Photo illustration: crime and courts / MGN
He confirmed that the arrests were not related to Olmsted County’s process for identifying instances of human trafficking in local massage parlors.
ABC 6 News will update this article as more information is available.