Photo Illustration by Stephanie Scott
Jill is a bit of an Internet junkie. She has multiple postings in online classifieds, a personal Web site and several profiles that describe her qualities – she says friends tend to call her “cheerful, bright, warm, illuminating and powerful” – as well as her weight, height, measurements and when she is available for incalls and outcalls.
Other information, such as Jill’s real name, telephone number, home address and employer remain carefully guarded to protect her from law enforcement. Jill is an Adult Service Provider (ASP), the industry-preferred name for a prostitute.
“There are two reasons you can’t tell people [you are a prostitute],” she says. “One is the legal aspect, self-preservation. The other is that people, especially older people, can not fathom that you could have a total stranger come to you and be safe.”
Outside of her virtual life, Jill is the same person she presents for strangers as an ASP. Unlike many providers, who hide any distinguishing marks such as tattoos and even their faces online, Jill has never posted a picture that wasn’t absolutely real.
“I don’t believe in misrepresenting myself,” she says, noting that all pictures on her Web site are current as of this past May. “I want someone to come and say I am more attractive than in my picture.”
Jill is a Colorado State University graduate who came to Northern Colorado as a student and never left. She enjoys the Fort Collins community, especially the music scene and jam bands, and describes herself as a “spiritual, loving person.” She closely follows the debate over medical marijuana and is a firm believer in “all or nothing” when it comes to the regulation of controlled substances. Above all, she says, Fort Collins is her home.
Jill has been operating in northern Colorado for nearly 20 years. Her roommate was the first person to suggest she become a prostitute.
“She told me, ‘You get along with the bros and the cowboys and everyone. You should be an escort,’” Jill says, mentioning that only a few close friends today know about her chosen profession.
Along with being a prostitute – her primary source of income – she also has a professional job in Fort Collins as a self-described “healer.” Despite her efforts at transparency on the Internet and with friends, she admits her job would be in jeopardy if someone discovered she was a prostitute. She asked that both her real name and provider name be changed. The issue of anonymity and safety, as with everything she does, is still her primary concern.
“I think these things – drugs, sex, anything – are going to happen no matter what,” Jill explains. She believes the majority of victimless crimes should be made legal, noting that when illegal, they often do more to destroy lives than if they were accepted. She doesn’t, however, see this as a fatalist mentality and is proud of what she does. After spending nearly half her life as a prostitute, it has influenced her worldview.
“I think our society is a very fearful society,” she says. “Our concept of monogamy has turned a society of people who don’t want to be liars and cheaters into liars and cheaters.”
Prostitution in Fort Collins and Northern Colorado is a relatively quiet business. A common misconception about prostitutes is that they are women who find business casually, walking the street and waiting for clients to come to them. This assumption is far from true. Modern prostitution is often highly organized and anonymous; when faced with criminal charges – a rare occurrence – most women will never talk. Like Jill, they are careful and leave very little solid evidence of their activity.
“We just don’t have the manpower to pursue it as heavily as other agencies with a vice unit,” says Jonathon Cox, an investigator with the Larimer County Sheriff’s Department.
Since most prostitutes do not operate in the open, they are able to maintain a low profile and ensure a discreet experience for their clients. Discretion, along with safety, is the No. 1 concern for both escorts and “Johns” – the term used by law enforcement to identify a man who solicits prostitution, according to Cox.
“People think [prostitution is] full of perverts and that’s not totally true,” Jill says. “It’s a whole different thing here in northern Colorado. We’re more down-to-earth and it’s less competitive than Denver.”
Cox admits it has been a long time since he worked a prostitution case. In his 17 years with the department, he can only remember a few specific instances of “popping” someone for soliciting sex. It is difficult to prosecute and convict a suspect because they must either confess or be caught in the act, which contributes to the hidden, almost non-existent nature of sex-for-hire.
“We have very little prostitution activities in Fort Collins and northern Colorado,” states Rita Davis, a spokeswoman for Fort Collins Police Services. Because different agencies deal with the problem individually, she admits that she may not be aware of every case.
According to state and federal law, a prostitute is any person, male or female, who receives payment to have sex with another person who is not their spouse. The most basic level of prostitution, soliciting sex is a misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of six months in prison and fines up to $750.
“There is no one agency that says they will be the lead point on prostitution,” Cox says. Because the punishment is minimal, the sheriff’s department rarely runs extensive undercover operations, and unless a person has been previously convicted, there is no database of people suspected of soliciting sex. Even after conviction, no specific data is kept on prostitution.
“We just don’t keep those kinds of statistics and don’t categorize by what type of crime was committed,” says Linda Jensen, the public information officer for the Larimer County District Attorney’s office.
“[The punishment is] generally fines,” Cox adds. “Fines and embarrassment, especially if they are married.”
With the exception of Nevada, prostitution in the United States operates illegally in various forms. The type most commonly targeted by law enforcement on a proactive basis involves organized rings, where multiple managers and prostitutes work collectively. In order to maintain a low profile, these operations often use a legal adult entertainment business as a cover. This can include massage parlors and escort services.
In 2009, Denver was the site of two prostitution busts, one in February and one in October. Altogether, over two dozen people were arrested in Denver and roughly 100 child prostitutes were rescued around the country, according to online reports by the Associated Press and 9News.
The busts were part of a nationwide initiative known as Operation Cross Country, spearheaded by the FBI and carried out with the help of local agencies. The raids targeted two massage parlors in Denver and resulted in the arrests of a wide variety of people – women and men, ranging from 18 to 48 years old – linked to child prostitution and human trafficking. No children were found in either raid on the Denver establishments.
“The police and the FBI have their eye on all these massage parlors,” Pam Harvey says. “There is the possibility that they could bring five or six down at a time.”
Harvey is the Colorado director of the Not For Sale Campaign, which is an international organization dedicated to identifying and assisting victims of human rights violations. She says human trafficking and prostitution do not always go hand in hand, but they can operate in similar ways. In general, Harvey explains that trafficking rings stay away from prostitution for one reason: trafficking is incredibly profitable – more so than drugs – as well as dangerous, and most people involved simply don’t need the additional money or attention that comes with prostitution.
For many women, especially those who are younger, the root of prostitution goes beyond money. From personal experience, Jill finds that the majority of women who become trapped in potentially dangerous situations are those who were sexually assaulted or abused as children. She enjoys her work and calls it a “viable profession,” something she largely credits to a good upbringing.
“I came from a healthy family with lots of love and wasn’t abused,” Jill says. Over the years, there were times when she found herself surrounded by drugs and other activities that overshadowed what she enjoyed about being a provider – the chance to connect with people and “open a whole new world” sexually – and knew she had to leave it behind.
“If you stay away from felony drugs or ripping people off and work with integrity, you’re OK,” she adds. “There are many people out there who involve their women in drugs.”
Jill is willing to be open about what she does because she has never been married and has no children. While she does not follow the same practices as other prostitutes to protect her identity, something that can make her legally vulnerable, she is safe and cautious with clients. She requires recommendations from at least one other established provider before arranging a meeting, typically someone she has networked with or knows personally. For outcalls – a meeting at a client’s home – she has a more strict set of criteria, but for safety reasons, she chose not to describe them. She advertises as “newbie friendly,” and incalls are open to anyone but held at a place she selects. The choice to work alone is another important security measure.
“Escort services are prostitution in a more legitimate verbiage,” says Sgt. Russ Reed with FCPS. Reed is head of the Crimes Against Persons division, which among other things, is in charge of investigating and arresting those involved with prostitution. Because concrete evidence is difficult to secure, if law enforcement suspects a business of being a front for prostitution, they can control it through logistic violations.
“That’s how a lot of jurisdictions get these places. They can’t pop them for prostitution, so they’ll get them through licensing,” Cox says. The police department has control over licensing and can easily stop illegal activity without solid charges of soliciting sex, but this only applies to businesses that operate in Fort Collins.
“I would say it’s everywhere,” Cox says. “The thing with escort services is that they can be based in Denver with a Denver phone number, but a guy in Fort Collins can still call looking for a party.”
Jill primarily meets with clients who live in northern Colorado. This is common for many providers, who have a general area they cover but don’t limit themselves to a specific city. There are no escort services based in Fort Collins, but many of the women who work for Colorado services travel throughout the state.
Sarah Pfauth is the sole owner and operator of the Denver-based business Elite Escorts. Changing the negative opinion people have about escort services was one of her goals when she started the company in August 2009.
“I have zero tolerance for prostitution,” Pfauth states. She works as a professional in two other jobs, but because of the possible backlash from her other employers, she chose not to name where she works. With the state of the economy, adding a third, private business seemed like a viable and profitable way to supplement her income.
Pfauth explains that she worked as an escort and exotic dancer seven years ago, and it is because of her experience in adult entertainment that she decided to try running a service of her own. During her time in the industry, she has seen many escort services earn the “unfortunate reputation” as fronts for prostitution.
“I’m trying to break the mold in a way,” she says. “I could see why [escort services] have that reputation because it happens. There is a brighter side as well and I want to help bring that out.”
Her employees are hired for a variety of services, such as high school reunions or dinner dates. Last October, one of her women was a golf caddie for a visiting businessman. Pfauth eventually wants to expand into football and corporate parties.
While working as an escort and dancer, Pfauth gained experience that is valuable when screening possible clients. She ensures reliable protection and a sense of security during appointments, adding that she would not hesitate to involve the police if she felt one of her employees was in danger. Pfauth understands when someone is calling for valid reasons or simply looking for sex.
“I can tell right away what they are all about because they will tell me,” she says, referring to a man who called her a bitch and made comments about lingerie. “People are pretty honest. I don’t want people to think that I am sending out a prostitute, someone to have sex with.”
For tax purposes, Pfauth’s employees are considered independent contractors who are required to sign a contract stating they will not have sex with clients. Because of the measures she takes to protect herself, her business and employees, Pfauth is not legally considered a “pimp” – a felony charge with penalties of up to 12 years in jail and $750,000. The severity of the consequences is one reason why Jill stays away from escort services and prefers to work independently.
Along with pimping, prostitution becomes a felony when it involves minors or knowledge of HIV infection. It is often at the felony level when prostitution attracts the immediate attention of authorities. Neither Cox nor Reed can remember such a case in Fort Collins.
The most recent bust of an organized prostitution ring in Fort Collins was in 2003. The Larimer County Sheriff’s Department raided a massage parlor on Link Lane, just north of Mulberry Street across from the gentlemen’s club, A Hunt Club. The business, Choice Tan, is one of two massage parlors in Fort Collins listed on the Web site eroticmp.com, advertised as “your No. 1 source for erotic massage and massage parlor reviews.” Choice Tan is currently open under the same name, a trend Cox calls “typical.”
“Once it’s raided, they will sell it to someone else and the person who got busted will move someplace else,” Cox says. He remembers the bust as being “low-key.”
“The Korean massage parlors are everywhere,” he adds. “It’s a huge business for them.”
Based on information Cox has gathered from talking to people involved, the women who work at many of the Korean-run businesses are illegal immigrants trying to pay off what he calls “shipping costs.” Once these costs are offset, they are typically free to go, making their situation slightly different than other human trafficking cases.
“Prostitution is the easiest and fastest way to pay off debt,” Cox says. “A lot of these women were doing it for a whole lot less back in Korea.”
Because of confidentiality, both Reed and Cox were unable to give exact details about how they approach and investigate organized prostitution. Reed says if there were any ongoing investigations, he wouldn’t be able to release information about the businesses or people involved.
However, based on past cases, Cox explains that most busts occur when a tip is received from surrounding businesses or concerned residents.
“If we have a complaint, we will stop the John on his way out and talk with them,” Cox says. “Most of them will admit to it.”
Independent escorts – what Cox calls the “lone” prostitute – work on their own and range from high-end providers with personal Web sites, such as Jill, to young women who advertise in online classifieds.
“Look on Craigslist or backpage.com and you tell me,” says Reed, in regards to online prostitution. He has seen the sites and is aware of the people on them, but as with other illicit sex activity in Fort Collins, they are not proactively followed.
“Especially in Northern Colorado and Wyoming, the men are looking for real women with real bodies,” Jill says. “They aren’t going for the fly-by-night, Craigslist-type girls.”
The Other Board is a Web site with reviews of prostitutes in Colorado and Texas. A disclaimer on the opening page states it is “solely for information and amusement” and is not related to prostitution. Other sites, including both Jill’s and Pfauth’s, have a similar disclaimer. On the front page of her site, Jill writes, “If money is exchanged then it is for time only. Time together may include services such as erotic dancing, modeling or a body rub.”
The legal validity of these claims, however, is questionable.
“If they’re trading sexual favors for money, that’s a criminal offense,” Reed says. “No matter what they’re putting in their ads, it’s still illegal.”
Jill says the disclaimer is primarily used to prevent people who do not belong on her site from unknowingly accessing the content.
“I know it wouldn’t help in a legal situation,” she says.
To disguise their activities further, the online prostitution business has its own veiled lingo, similar to other digital media. In message boards, John’s refer to themselves as enthusiasts or hobbyists and post open discussions with titles like: “Top 10 Hobbyist Pet Peeves” and “ASP v. Girlfriend – Pros and Cons.”
The Other Board also has a glossary of short-hand terms, like text language, to describe the services each prostitute provides: “Greek” is anal sex, “GFE” stands for girlfriend experience, “French” refers to oral sex. Although the language is carefully disguised and intentionally left ambiguous, the photos are typically graphic.
“When a young lady is posting pictures with their private parts exposed and saying they will charge $100 for a half hour of their services, a reasonable person would jump to the conclusion that it is prostitution,” Reed says.
Another advantage of the Internet is that it acts as an anonymous yet effective way to screen clients. Safety and discretion are often one in the same. Many prostitutes require clients to register with the Web site Preferred 411 before they will agree to a session. The site hosts profiles for clients and “legitimate providers.” Clients are required to purchase memberships for $69 a year. To confirm their identity, they must provide proof of employment; information the site operators say is immediately destroyed after confirmation. In exchange, they receive a discreet user name, full access to provider information and the ability to contact them directly through the site.
On Preferred 411, Jill has a list of over 17 activities she enjoys “in private,” all listed as discrete acronyms, followed by a disclaimer that reads, “For which no money is exchanged.” Neither her profile nor Web site list options for payment. Rather, there are suggested donations for her services, ranging from $100 for fifteen minutes to $200 for a full hour.
The monetary benefits of prostitution are not easy to pin down. While prostitution can be profitable, the women who become successful and remain largely off the radar are not after cash.
“Never take a client because you are desperate or need money,” Jill says. “As with any profession, greed is the enemy.”
Pfauth, who started her business with the goal of making money, says her unique approach has been slow to evolve and catch on.
“Things aren’t looking good right now, but that’s because I’m not taking every call,” she says. “In time, at some point, it will be very lucrative. I’m taking baby steps.”
Reed is unsure of any noticeable economic impact brought about by prostitution and could not comment on how the public views the crime.
“I don’t have an opinion one way or the other,” he says.
Prostitution does remain largely unseen and, to an extent, controlled. The last case Cox can specifically remember of a John being charged for soliciting sex was in 2004. Because the overwhelming majority of people find what she does to be unthinkable, Jill has learned to adapt to Northern Colorado, like camouflage.
“I’m just a regular 40-something-year-old woman who wouldn’t stand out other than my large, all-American chest,” she laughs. Despite never being arrested or charged with prostitution, Jill is aware of the legal penalties for all aspects of the crime. Because she has been around longer than anyone else she is aware of, Jill is sure the police have some idea of whom she is. Being vocal about her life as a prostitute could damage the careful balance between what she enjoys and what is accepted.
“There is a reason and order that flows quite nicely without disruption,” Jill says. “Until I’m ready to get out of it, which I’m not, I think I need to remain not so vocal or proud about sharing my views. I’m not sure the human psyche is prepared for it.”
Tags: Colorado, escorts, Fort Collins, prostitution, Volume 5 Issue 2
