NY- COLONIE A prostitution sting netted seven arrests in two locations late Wednesday, including a man who police say filmed the trysts with a Web camera out of his home.
The crackdown by the Albany County Sheriff's Department and Colonie Police targeted three reputed prostitution rings, with arrests being made in the private home and a Wolf Road hotel.
Joseph Speranza, 38, allegedly advertised on the Craigslist Web site, enticing customers for sex with women touted as "home run hitters" at his home at 26B Knauf Lane.
The spot is off Albany Shaker Road, near the Crossings at Colonie town park.
But police say Speranza also was using a Web camera for a site called erotictemptations.net. Customers paid $85 to view the sex sessions.
Police were unsure if customers were aware they would be filmed.
They arrested Speranza when an undercover officer posing as a john arrived sometime after 4:30 p.m., authorities said.
Speranza didn't take any chances, authorities said, noting he checked out the undercover cop's cellphone number through a special service. He also inspected the cop's undercover car after letting him inside, authorities said.
The cop paid Speranza $200 upfront then was expected to pay an additional fee to a woman for sex, authorities said.
Speranza was charged with third-degree prostitution, a felony, because the woman was younger than 19. He was also charged with permitting prostitution. The woman, identified as Jessica Hohler, 18, of Fort Johnson, was charged with fourth-degree prostitution.
Police seized an estimated $3,000, as well as fireworks, from the home.
Speranza, arraigned before Judge Peter Crummey in Colonie Town Court, was held without bail.
Investigators then moved on to the Wolf Road hotel where they arrested three women allegedly working for a service called "Top Notch" escorts.
Arrested were Loren Gac, 19, of Troy, who allegedly solicited an undercover cop at the hotel; Allysa DiBiase, 18, of Schenectady, who accompanied her inside, and Tarah Kloss, 19, of Rotterdam, who was waiting outside in a car, authorities said.
Gac was charged with prostitution, while DiBiase and Kloss were charged with promoting it. They were allegedly asking for $300 an hour for sexual services.
The sting ended with the arrests at the hotel of Christina Condolora, 28, of Niskayuna, and Michele Barr, 24, of Schenectady, who were allegedly working for the "Your Desires" escort service. Barr was charged with promoting prostitution, Condolora with prostitution.
They were asking for $180 per hour, authorities said.
Inspector John Burke of the sheriff's department said he was surprised at the age of those involved.
"It was shocking," he said. "We've never had that many girls that young involved in prostitution. Why?"
The women were all issued tickets to appear in court.
