7 Arrested in Prostitution Sting at Sands

A prostitution sting at the on Friday night netted the seven arrests – six accused call girls and an alleged pimp, authorities said.

City police conducted the sting as a result of complaints received about suspected prostitution at the casino and Internet ads soliciting patrons, according to court records.

The most serious charges were filed against Joseph John Janis, 50, of 3036 Rosewood Place, Whitehall Township, who is facing three counts of promoting prostitution, a third-class felony.

Janis is accused of operating a prostitution business, advertised on the Internet as “At Your Pleasure,” the court records say. Janis allegedly took telephone calls, arranged meetings between prostitutes and johns and would drive the call girls to their appointments.

Bethlehem police apprehended Janis, who was circling the casino complex in a brown Mercury Sable early Saturday morning after dropping off two women for an appointment with an undercover officer, the court record says.

According to the arrest affidavit:

An undercover officer called Janis at an advertised telephone number to arrange a meeting at the casino. This was done after police had taken alleged call girl Shannon Sicher into custody. Sicher identified Janis as her pimp and also told police that she pays him a percentage of every fee she collects.

After the undercover officer called Janis, his call was returned by Kimberly Rexroad, 34, of Reading. Rexroad later arrived with Stacey Hoffman, 47, also of Reading. They offered to perform a sex act with the officer for money and were also taken into custody.

Hoffman and Rexroad also identified Janis as their pimp, saying they pay him a percentage of their calls.

When police stopped Janis in his car, they recovered “paperwork referring to massage parlors and suspected prostitution paraphernalia,” two cell phones and cash.

Janis was arraigned before and committed to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $25,000 bail.

Hoffman and Rexroad were issued summonses and released, according to a release on the Bethlehem Police Blog. It was unclear how Sicher was processed.

Police also arrested three other women on prostitution charges:

• Danielle Moser, 24, of Toledo, Ohio, was arrested after 8 p.m. Friday after she allegedly offered to perform a sex act with an undercover officer for $300, according to her arrest affidavit. She was committed to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $10,000 bail.

• Kim Hutchinson, 40, of 819 Mill St., Phillipsburg, was issued summonses for prostitution and marijuana possession and released.

• Mary Bartholomew, 50, of 421 N. 16th St., Allentown, was issued a summons for prostitution and released.