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PLAINS TWP. — The advertisements along with attached pictures can be considered obscene with mostly women and some men offering body rubs, table top showers and exotic pleasures for a price.

And it’s how state police Bureau of Criminal Investigations and federal authorities were led to motels in the area arresting five people on prostitution related offenses.

Backpage.com, an internet based advertisement site that allows anyone to post anything for sale, seeking child care or in need of automotive services, includes an adult section offering services for female and male escorts, massages and employment in the adult entertainment industry.

Eighteen advertisements offering adult services were posted on Tuesday. Forty were posted on Monday.

There have been several prostitution stings in the area due to backpage.com advertisements offering adult related services at motels in the area.

On Tuesday, four people appeared before District Judge Diana Malast in Plains Township for their preliminary hearing on prostitution related charges while federal prosecutors announced charges filed against a Scranton man for enticing a teen girl to go to motels to have sex for cash.

Court records indicate they advertised under escort services on backpage.com.

According to court records:

• June 5, 9:56 p.m. Justin Michael Pompey, 28, of Ferretti Drive, West Wyoming, and Rosemary Beseda, 23, address listed as homeless, allegedly arrived at a motel on state Route 315, Plains Township, under the premise they were meeting a customer to perform sex acts, which would had cost $150 for 30 minutes or $220 for one hour. Pompey waited in a vehicle while Beseda allegedly entered the motel room.

After their arrest, Pompey and Beseda claimed they needed money to support their “addiction.”

Pompey waived his right to a preliminary hearing sending a charge of promoting prostitution to Luzerne County Court. Beseda’s preliminary hearing on a prostitution charge was continued.

• June 5: 9:03 p.m.: Tabitha Torres, 33, of Von Storch Avenue, Scranton, showed up at the same Plains Township motel after receiving a phone call from a number listed on the advertisement. An agreed upon price for sex was $100 for 30 minutes and $150 for one hour, plus $75 for additional sex acts.

Torres waived her right to a preliminary hearing sending a prostitution charge to county court.

• June 6, 12:31 a.m.: Jennifer Lee Torres, 31, of Apache Trail, Tobyhanna, arrived at the same Plains Township motel after a customer called a phone number on a backpage.com advertisement. Torres offered a sex act for $160. After her arrest, Torres claimed she is not a prostitute and planned on stealing the money by making an excuse to leave the room.

Torres’ preliminary hearing on a prostitution charge was continued.

• Justin Strait, 26, of Scranton, was charged by federal authorities with conspiring with others to commit sex trafficking of a teen girl. Strait was initially charged May 27 when a criminal complaint was filed in federal court. An information was filed Monday along with a plea agreement that must be accepted by a federal judge.

Strait has been in federal custody since his arrest in May.

According to the information and a news release issued Tuesday:

Strait and others knowingly recruited, enticed and transported a teen girl to various motels in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties to have sex with customers from February 2014 to August 2014. Pictures of the girl were posted with an advertisement for escort services on backpage.com to solicit customers.

Strait and others allegedly provided heroin, cocaine, other illegal drugs and condoms to the teen girl to use when she met with customers, according to the information.

Federal prosecutors alleged Strait and others acted as the girl’s body guard during prostitution activities.

The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and state police.

By Ed Lewis

[email protected]

Reach Ed Lewis at 570-991-6116 or on Twitter @TLEdLewis