A four day "John" sting by St. Thomas police has led to the arrests of 20 men.
But, unlike London police, the St. Thomas Police Service will not be releasing the names of the men. According to St. Thomas police, a sting was conducted earlier this month. In all, 20 men face charges of communication for the purpose of obtaining sexual services. One of the men also faces a drug trafficking charge after allegedly trying to sell cocaine to an undercover officer.
Police say the men are all from the Elgin, Oxford, and Middlesex area.
"The men were all released and will appear in court at a later date with a police recommendation to attend john school," police said in a statement issued Thursday. These diversion programs involve an educational program that outlines the exploitation of women in the sex trade and the impact of prostitution on families and communities.
While London's police chief recently made the decision to release the names of men charged with trying to buy sexual services, the chief of police in St. Thomas isn't following suit.
“In keeping with our established practice of only releasing names of individuals who are recidivist (a convicted criminal who re offends, especially repeatedly) and are a threat to the public safety or property of the citizens of St. Thomas, I will not be releasing the names of the men arrested for attempting to purchase sex," said St. Thomas Police Chief Chris Herridge. " I have reviewed the case files for this investigation and there is no evidence to suggest there is a threat to public safety or property. Five of the accused persons reside in St. Thomas and there is no evidence to suggest either person is a risk to public safety. This was an uncover operation to determine the extent of sex trade specifically in St. Thomas. I certainly appreciate the sensitivity of this issue. STPS will maintain a consistent approach moving forward to only release the name of johns where violence, minors or a threat to public safety exists. Our response will always be based on each individual case and the supporting evidence