Galveston prostitution sting nets five arrests

GALVESTON, TX (KTRK) -- Five women were arrested Thursday night in a prostitution sting conducted by Galveston police.

Of the five women arrested, three - Lillian Young, 53; Veronica Serna, 27; and Rose Phillips, 41 -- were charged with prostitution and the other two - Lisa Simmons, 47; and Kerri McCrory, 44 -- with enhanced felony prostitution, which is a charge used when an individual has been convicted three or more times of prostitution.

In the sting, Galveston police say an undercover officer solicited mostly known offenders to commit sex acts for payment.

"Public order offenses, such as prostitution, are the root causes of many other types of crime," said Galveston Police Chief Henry Porretto. "Proactively targeting these core issues helps curb more serious offenses before their onset and assures that our island remains a family friendly environment for both out citizens and our guests."

The chief says this time of illegal activity often picks up in Galveston during the summer months.

"As the summer approaches, many people come here to try to make quick money or to try to participate in illegal acivity and we're trying to shut that down," Porretto said. "But after memorial day, we usually see somewhat of an increase in prostitution."

Bond for the three women charged with prostitution is $5,000. It's $60,000 for the two charged with enhanced felony prostitution.