A Malawian man has been arrested in United States of America in a prostitution sting carried out by Police in South Bend, according to media reports.
The Malawian nation held by Police has been identified as Brandon Mafuleka, 34 of Mishawaka. He was nabbed together with two others 56-year-old David Ford of St. Joseph, 23-year-old Nathan Jenkins of Rochester.
Police in US said an investigation was carried out after they received tips that a website southbendbackpage.com was being used to solicit prostitutes in the area.
The Malawian and two others were all taken into custody for soliciting a prostitute online as well as through text messages and phone calls.
Officers planned the sting by posting on the site and waiting for people to contact them for illegal activity.
Mafuleka (centre) suspected of recruiting girls for prostutition
Each of the men arrested this weekend used the site and arranged a meeting and a price for sexual acts, but when they walked into the hotel room they were greeted by police officers instead of prostitutes.
“As the sex for a fee industry moves from the streets to online, we adjust our demand reduction tactics accordingly. I hope this operation and those that will follow send a message to potential customers: The women of South Bend are cherished and they are not for sale,” a police statement said.
Police say they hope the sting deters others from using social media to commit these crimes of prostitution.
