Law enforcement officers investigating suspected human trafficking in the Erie region said they utilized a website to reach out to a person who offered to meet up for a sexual encounter Sept.10.<\/p>\n
The person police accuse of communicating with them arrived with a woman at a meeting place in Erie. When police questioned the woman, she said the man she was with set up the online ad police responded to, and she splits the money she makes from performing sex acts with him.<\/p>\n
The man is now facing felony and misdemeanor prostitution charges.<\/p>\n
Stephen L. Houghton, 43, of Erie, was in the Erie County Prison Sept. 14 on $125,000 bond following his arraignment Sept. 11 on a third-degree felony count of promoting prostitution-encouraging prostitution and four misdemeanor promoting prostitution counts.<\/p>\n
Investigators with the Millcreek Township Police Department and the Erie County District Attorney’s Office accuse Houghton of setting up sexual encounters involving the woman utilizing the Skip the Games website.<\/p>\n
More: He prostituted women at an Erie County motel. State prison is next<\/a><\/p>\n According to information in the criminal complaint against Houghton, investigators on Sept. 10 responded to an ad on the site by contacting a number they determined belonged to Houghton and setting up a meeting in Erie. When police spoke to the woman after arriving at the meeting place, she said she was there to perform a sex act on someone and that Houghton was making sure she was safe, investigators wrote in the complaint’s affidavit. She also said Houghton was the one communicating with police and the person who set up the ad, according to the affidavit.<\/p>\n Houghton is tentatively scheduled to appear in court for his preliminary hearing Oct. 1. A lawyer for Houghton was not listed on his criminal docket sheet Sept. 14.<\/p>\n Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@usatodayco.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n