Eric J. Oliver
/ Courtesy State Police
WATERTOWN -- A prostitution investigation led to the arrest of a Syracuse man who allegedly profited from the prostitution of a person under 16. Police were also able to locate a missing teen who was engaged in prostitution in Watertown.
State Police say they, along with Syracuse Police and the Jefferson Metro Drug Task Force, began an investigation into suspected prostitution at motels in Watertown on Monday.
The investigation began after the mother of a 15-year-old Syracuse girl told police she believed her daughter was engaging in prostitution the Syracuse and Watertown areas. The teen had been reported missing to the Syracuse Police in June and was wanted on an active warrant for her arrest.
Police say they used a public web site to find ads related to the missing girl and were able to make contact with the girl. Police eventually located and arrested her on Arsenal Street in Watertown on Thursday afternoon.
After further investigation, police also arrested 29-year-old Eric J. Oliver, of Syracuse, for allegedly advancing and profiting from the prostitution of a person less than 16-year-old.
Oliver was charged with felony promoting prostitution and endangering the welfare of a child, both felonies. He was arraigned in the City of Watertown Court and committed to the Jefferson County Jail without bail.
The 15-year-old girl was returned to Family Court in Onondaga County.
