Neighbors Say They Were Unaware Of Alleged Brothel

Tuesday,  December 2, 2008 4:01 AM

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COLUMBUS, Ohio — Residents of the Brewery District said they were completely unaware that a house in their neighborhood may have been used as a brothel.

An Ohio State faculty advisor, a case worker for Franklin County Children Services, and a successful realtor face prostitution-related charges from activities in the house, 10TV's Kevin Landers reported.

Police said OSU nursing school advisor Christopher Johnson created an Internet chat room in August for men who pay for sex. Johnson invited men who used erotic services advertised on craigslist, a classified-advertising Web site, to join his chat room and write reviews of the women they hired through craigslist.

Johnson then began to run a monthly raffle in which a prostitute would offer a one-hour session with a winner of the raffle. The raffle tickets cost $10 each.

Children Services case worker Vanise Dunn was one of the "prizes" in the sex lottery, according to police.

Johnson then worked with realtor Rusty Blades to set up parties at a Brewery District houseowned by Blades in the 900 block of S. Front Street where chat-room members could meet prostitutes, police said.

According to police, Blades supervised the invitation-only parties for prostitutes and johns, keeping out those who were not invited and directing people to the house's bedrooms.

Neighbors told 10TV News they had no idea that prostitution may have gone on in the house.

"What concerns me is that it could happen so close to me and I not notice anything," neighbor Devotion Brown said. "I wasn't suspicious at all. Not at all."

Dunn is charged with prostituion. Johnson and Blades are charged with promoting prostitution.

Watch 10TV News and refresh 10TV.com for additional information.

Previous Stories:

December 1, 2008: OSU Faculty Adviser, Caseworker Implicated In Brothel
November 29, 2008: Officers Bust Prostitution Ring In Brewery District

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