ILLEGAL SEX TRADE GROWING IN AREA

The arrest of three Beckley women for prostitution in two weeks has local
law enforcement officials concerned. Debra Cozart, 32, of Beckley, was
arrested Wednesday around 10:30 a.m. after allegedly soliciting money in
exchange for sex during an undercover operation on Heber Street, according
to Beckley Police Detective Lt. Cedric Robertson.

While the suspect was arrested on misdemeanor charges and taken to Southern
Regional Jail before bailing out on a $500 bond, Robertson and other
officials say an overall increase in the illegal sex trade in Beckley is
alarming.

Beckley police arrested two women on prostitution just last week.

"We see this as an increasing problem within the city limits of Beckley,
and we are trying to target the problem area as much as we possibly can,"
said the chief detective. "Before, in the past, we've had maybe two or
three complaints a year.

"Here in the last two or three months it's been several complaints. I think
mainly it's due to drugs," added Robertson. "The drug trade has grown, not
only in Beckley, but I would say statewide, in the past year. We're getting
an influx of people from out of state bringing drugs in and guns to sell. "

According to TRIDENT Task Force Coordinator Ronnie Booker, the increase in
prostitution comes as no surprise: He says the drug trade grows
substantially every year and addicts will resort to illegal activities to
obtain money to support their habit.

"It's our belief (on the drug force) that it's based upon the addict's
preference. If the addict thinks he or she is good at stealing stuff, they
will steal things to use the profits of it to trade or to sell to buy
drugs," he explained.

"If a person is comfortable with using their bodies, they will use that.
That's probably the last phase of addiction - when it comes down to selling
their bodies."

Booker shared his belief that those selling sex tend to be drug addicts
whose lifestyle places them at risk of being robbed, cheated, beaten or
murdered by those offering them money for sex.

He added the exchange of drugs for sex among those entrenched in the area's
illegal drug culture is nothing new, but Beckley addicts overtly soliciting
cash for sex points to heightened levels of addiction.

"There's a lot of trading sex for drugs going on without money. That's
typical crack house method," he explained. "It's nothing new to the area
pertaining to trading sex for drugs. However, we have seen a rise in the
displaying of prostitution by known drug users. It seems like they don't
care anymore, they'll just be out in the open and do it.

"Normally when a person becomes addicted they only care about one thing and
that's feeding the addiction," he said. "My advice is don't use drugs.
Nothing good can come from it."

Robertson said at this phase of the crackdown in Beckley, his office has
not begun to arrest "john" - those who avail themselves of the prostitutes,
but instead are concentrating on arresting prostitutes themselves.

Those willing to pay for sex are possibly addicts themselves, Booker said.

"It's possible to get addicted to ... sex ...," Booker said, adding that
johns place themselves at risk of sexually transmitted diseases and robbery.

Like the drug trade, the sex trade crosses socio-economic lines, according
to Booker.

"I could tell you some stories that would shock you of who pays ... for
prostitution. I would say that like drugs, paying for sex affects every
socio-economic status. It's just another bad choice in life."