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4 arrested in Fort Pierce online prostitution sting

Posted at 5:23 PM, Oct 25, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-25 17:23:22-04

Fort Pierce Police undercover officers arrested four women they say solicited sex using online advertisements. 

Phaedra Pierce, of Lake Worth, Jeanette Carrero Rivera, of Miami, Tanesha Chilton, of Fort Pierce, and Angela Austin-Knight, of Vero Beach, are charged with prostitution. 

The officers combed through Backpage.com ads looking for coded language that might suggest the women could be prostitutes, according to police spokesperson Ed Cunningham.  

“Officers check periodically to try to stay ahead of human trafficking or prostitution problems,” Cunningham said.

Then, the officers arranged to meet the women between Oct. 19 and 22 at undisclosed locations and agreed to a price for sexual activities.

Each of the arrests are unrelated cases, records show.

The four women were released on bond from the St. Lucie County Jail.