Wright-Patt employee among 6 arrested in Internet sex sting

A high-ranking Wright-Patterson Air Force Base civilian employee was among six people arrested this week during a city of Riverside Internet sex sting.

Mark Robbins, 52, deputy director for the 88th Force Support Squadron at the base, is charged with soliciting for prostitution and possession of criminal tools. He was arrested April 22 after responding to an ad undercover officers with Riverside police, Dayton Police Street Crimes Unit, and United States Office of Special Investigations at Wright-Patt placed on the website Backpage.com. The ad was for escort services, but police Chief Frank Robinson said Robbins and five others who met with officers at an undisclosed Riverside hotel were interested in engaging in prostitution.

"They understand what that means when they show up and then of course they have to make the offer that they want to make in response to whatever they want to get from the person they want to see," Robinson said.

Base officials confirmed Robbins is an employee there and that they were aware of his arrest. But said they could not release any information regarding how the charges could impact his employment.

"At this point, we are monitoring the case and awaiting additional information regarding Mr. Robbins' arrest and potential charges that might be filed against him,"Daryl Mayer, chief of public affairs at the base, said in the statement. "Any administrative or employment actions that might be taken against Mr. Robbins as a result of this incident would be Privacy Act protected, and therefore not subject to release."

Others arrested in the sting include:

  • Tiffany Issacs, soliciting for prostitution and possession of criminal tool
  • Corey Carter, soliciting for prostitution and possession of criminal tools and possession of cocaine.
  • Jennifer Shatterfield, soliciting for prostitution and possession of criminal tools
  • Jerry Borchers, soliciting for prostitution and possession of criminal tools.

The sting took about a month to coordinate and was done in response to several complaints about prostitution. The investigation uncovered many "players" using Backpage.com for prostitution are living or meeting up in Riverside, Robinson said. Within minutes of posting the ad, he said police received almost two dozen responses over the phone and through Internet messaging. Officers are planning similar operations in the future.

"In Riverside, we're not going to put up with that, we're going to search you out, we're going to find you and we're going to eliminate this problem in Riverside," Robinson said.

In addition to prostitution charges, Riverside police Sgt. Rhett Close said drugs and money were seized. All of the females arrested during this operation admitted to struggling with a drug habit and using prostitution as a means to pay for continued use, he said.

About the Author