Prostitution arrests increasing along Carowinds Boulevard

YORK COUNTY, S.C. — Sheriff's deputies and York County drug agents arrested four men and a woman, and charged them with prostitution late Tuesday.

Police have repeatedly battled prostitution in the Carowinds area for years. They are still getting complaints, often from the many hotels in the area near the theme park.

Marvin Brown is commander of York County's multi-jurisdictional drug enforcement unit.

"The hotels will call us and say the activity has picked up, maybe because of a concert at Carowinds, a ball game or even during race week in Charlotte," Brown said.

The concern isn't only sex for money, but drugs and violence that comes with it, Brown said.

Some of that happens across the street from a major tourist destination, where families with children book nearby hotels.

Many times prostitutes bring armed men with them, in case they get hurt, Brown said.

It creates a dangerous situation for traveling families.

"We've seen knives, ball bats, guns and a lot of times they're standing in the hallway. So a family is up there for Carowinds walking down the hallway, and you've got this shady looking guy standing in a corner with a gun in his back pocket," he said.

Undercover officers often create online ads on Craigslist and Backpage seeking prostitutes. On Tuesday night, they answered ads that were already placed.

This is an approach they've used many times, but it only stops the crime for a few months.

Surprisingly, most arrests they make like the five people charged this time are all charged with their first offense.

"We see very few repeat offenders. It's just new people over and over and over again," Brown said.

Deputies charged Roberta Criger, 28, Derrick Crocket, 19, Ivon Grayer, 20, Jeremy Bellamy, 26 and Mack Mitchell, 29, each with one count of prostitution.

Channel 9 tried to speak to mangers at the Clarion Hotel but we were met in the parking lot and told to leave.

Mangers at the other nearby hotels also would not comment about the prostitution issue.

The manager of one of the hotels told Channel 9 she checks out Backpage to try and make sure their hotel isn't listed as a meeting place for sex.

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