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Kent Co. task force takes 8 into custody on prostitution solicitation charges in Cascade Twp.

The eight men were taken into custody and have been charged with Using a Computer to Commit a Crime and Solicitation for Prostitution.

KENT COUNTY, Mich. — Eight men—seven from Michigan and one from Indiana—were arrested on prostitution charges last week.

The Kent County Sheriff's Office said their Human Trafficking Task Force (HTTF) partnered with the Kent Area Narcotics Team in an undercover operation on Thursday, Aug. 3. The operation took place along 28th Street in Cascade Township.

The eight men were taken into custody and have been charged with Using a Computer to Commit a Crime and Solicitation for Prostitution, which allegedly took place at a local hotel.

While suspects' names have not been provided, investigators have provided their ages and where they're from:

  • 42-year-old male, Holland
  • 24-year-old male, Alto
  • 25-year-old male, Ann Arbor
  • 42-year-old male, Allendale
  • 32-year-old male Kentwood
  • 23-year-old male, Coopersville
  • 33-year-old male, Grand Rapids
  • 23-year-old male, Angola, IN

The sheriff's office is trying to make a dent in those seeking prostitution services as they may have been involved with human trafficking in the past.

"It's one of those crimes where it's there and it's difficult to uncover and identify," said Undersheriff Chuck DeWitt with the Kent Count Sheriff's Office. "It's definitely worth our time and worth our effort and we want to make the situation better for those caught in prostitution as a result of being trafficked."

They have been lodged at the Kent County Jail and are awaiting arraignment.

The investigation is still underway. If you have any information human trafficking or prostitution in Kent County, a tip can be submitted here.

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