Redondo Beach- Christopher Davis and Jill McGrath are basically saying that the following story is crap. With something that they came up with called “South Bay Models”, the couple is calling what they do “a dating referral service”.
Sure as shit sounds like an escort service to us with the word “models” something of a giveaway. Neighbors and police thought so, too, accusing the couple of running a call-girl ring from their yellow-and-white house near the beach.
According to criminal charges, McGrath was a virtual ombudswoman of sleaze having enlisted moms in the immediate neighborhood to ply their wares in happy ending dating rituals. Davis then advertised their availability including pics on the Internet. Something which might have also been a giveaway. The couple, on the other hand, say that they’re just normal people trying to make a living. So much so, that yesterday they pleaded not guilty in Los Angeles Superior Court in Torrance to charges of pimping, pandering and drug possession. McGrath also faces an additional charge of child endangerment connected to alleged drug possession. The drug charge triggered an investigation by the state Department of Children and Family Services. The couple could get up to 10 years in prison.
The couple came to Los Angeles trying to make a career in acting. That didn’t work out, but, Davis, however, got work as a still photographer and assistant cameraman on films. After their first child came along, Davis wanted something that could keep him closer to home. He and McGrath tried designing and selling children’s clothes but were saddled with big debts from the enterprise. Then they came up with the idea of a “dating referral service” and wound up referring dates to as many as a thousand customers, according to police, with McGrath lining up about 30 “soccer moms” for the goal tending chores. The couple took a 30% to 50% cut of the action with some soccer moms earning as much as $600 an hour and $10,000 a month- which could buy a lot of balls when you come to think of it. Police say McGrath had this operation going for several years.
Davis built the website, southbaymodel.com which now offers documentation about the couples’ court case- for a membership fee.
But Davis and McGrath are claiming they never offered prostitution services. They say they provided clients with nothing more than dates in exchange for a $300 to $600 per hour “referral fee.” The couple say all these extravant financial figures being offered by police are bullshit and that they were driving junky cars and renting their house.
McGrath is also claiming she turned away anyone looking to pay for sex but more or less kept the business on the down-low because they lived in a pretty conservative neighborhood. But South Bay Models began attracting attention from area law enforcement, and the business was traced back to their home with the Redondo Beach police setting up the proverbial sting operation. They arranged for a detective to meet a soccer mom at an area hotel and the ensuing conversation had nothing to do with David Beckham.
There was an offer and an exchange of money. The woman was charged with misdemeanor prostitution. In a November raid of the premises, police took papers and records from the couple’s house describing an operation that involved 1,000 clients.
Police also found evidence that the couple administered a sexual questionnaire to potential escorts, asking them for what has been described as “a laundry list of what they were prepared to do” with clients.
Also in the raid, police discovered a stash of cocaine, methamphetamine and Ecstasy.
Davis claims the drugs were his, calling himself a “recreational drug user.” Since his arrest, on the advice of his attorney, Davis has joined Narcotics Anonymous and the couple are fighting to keep their children from being taken away from them.