St. Thomas police will not be releasing the names of alleged johns.
Thursday’s announcement came alongside reports of a john sting that saw twenty men, ranging in age from 20 to 71, face charges.
According to police, the four-day sting occurred earlier this month and saw each man charged with communication for the purpose of obtaining sexual services. One man was also charged with drug trafficking after police say he attempted to sell cocaine to undercover officers.
Police say the men are all from Elgin, Oxford, and Middlesex counties but the names will not be released.
“In keeping with our established practice of only releasing names of individuals who are recidivist (a convicted criminal who re-offends, especially repeatedly) and are a threat to the public safety or property of the citizens of St. Thomas, I will not be releasing the names of the men arrested for attempting to purchase sex,” said Chief Chris Herridge in a statement.
The announcement also follows a Facebook poll conducted by the force, asking for the community’s input on whether or not to release names in these instances.
“I have reviewed all of the comments on our recent Facebook post and the numerous research documents provided along with inviting feedback from our local community partners,” he continued.
“The passionate opinions of sex trade survivors, sex trade workers and the community at large have been respected and I thank everyone for weighing in.”
Herridge adds that going forward, johns would only be named where violence, minors, or a threat to public safety exists.
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