Arrest of 3 Ad Managers in Prostitution Case: Retaliation?

[babylonsister]

Arrest of 3 Ad Managers in Prostitution Case: Retaliation?


Published: October 23, 2007 7:40 AM ET

ORLANDO The publisher of a weekly publication said the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation arrested three advertising executives in retaliation for unfavorable coverage of the agency by the paper.

Orlando Weekly's director of classified advertising Jarrell B. Martin, 43; line account executive Katherine Casey Miller, 27; and display account executive Christopher M. Whiting, 37, were taken into custody while at a job fair representing the newspaper Friday. They were charged with facilitating prostitution and benefiting from its proceeds.

The trio sold ads to undercover officers posing as representatives of prostitution, who explicitly said they wanted to promote their prostitution business, the MBI said.

Publisher Rick Schreiber said Monday the charges against the three are "outrageous" and he was confident they would be dismissed.

"We suspect that the MBI has targeted our company because we are the only newspaper in the area that has been critical of the MBI in a series of investigative articles over the past several years," Schreiber said.

more...

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003661733

[MADem]

1. Why do I have a feeling they'll beat the rap???

Hey, Senator Vitter went to a prostitute...but all she did was put the boy in a diaper.

It's often SEXUAL, but it isn't always about SEX. And they might have a problem proving that the advertisers had specific knowledge of "fiddly bits" in play, as it were. A "prostitution business" could consist of "Naughty, nasty boy" comments and nothing else, after all.

I also question, vigorously, if it is the "duty" of the advertising department of a paper to establish the bona fides (or lack thereof) of those who buy space in their paper. Don't most papers have a little disclaimer box, saying 'caveat emptor/check these baastids out yourselves?'

And if it's shown that the paper WAS unfairly targeted (and clearly, they were), I hope they countersue like a mon-frere!!!! This kind of bullying is over the top.