PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Prosecutors have charged a man with promoting prostitution after he contacted an undercover officer involving human sex trafficking.
Jamie Patrick Edgtton was indicted by a grand jury in Multnomah County and faces one count each of promoting prostitution and prostitution.
According to court documents, in mid-August, police put up an ad on Backpage.com looking for people who may be violating the state’s sex trafficking laws.
The undercover officers received several text messages from Edgtton who claimed his name was “Jay.” He claimed he wrote reviews on a website that allows prostitutes and purchasers to review each other, according to court documents.
Getting a review can supposedly add credibility to someone’s profile, records said.
Edgtton reportedly asked the undercover officer to lower her “donation” price.
The decoy and Edgtton agreed that instead of paying $125 per hour, the decoy would set her rate at $80 an hour for the review, according to court documents.
Edgtton agreed to meet the decoy at a Portland hotel. When he showed up, he was taken into custody. When officers moved in and arrested Edgtton, he was found to be in possession of $1,144, the cellphone that matched the number the undercover officers had been texting, 2 condoms and a packet of lubricant.
Edgtton was booked and then later released from the Multnomah County Detention Center.
He is scheduled to appear in court Friday for his arraignment.