Pittsburgh detectives arrest missing 14-year-old in prostitution sting
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A 14-year-old girl who had been missing for nearly a year from a youth center was arrested in a prostitution sting Friday at an Oakland hotel that also resulted in the apprehension of a 22-year-old woman and a 36-year-old man.
The girl, whose name was not released because of her age, was reported missing March 3 from the Three Rivers Youth, a center that helps abused and homeless children.
According to a police criminal complaint, Pittsburgh sex assault detectives turned over to vice squad detectives information the runaway may be working as a prostitute and had advertisements posted in the adult/escort section of the Internet site Pittsburgh Back Page. The advertisement for "Private Stripper-23" had a photograph of an unknown female and a phone number.
A vice squad detective called the number and spoke with the runaway who agreed to a one-hour appointment with a second female for $300 plus tips. The juvenile said she could get a hotel room on Route 51 at 5:30 p.m. The juvenile said she would call back but in the meantime the detective returned the call and said he could get a room a the Quality Inn on the Boulevard of the Allies in Oakland. Hotel management provided officers with the room.
At 6:32 p.m., the detective received a call from the girl asking for his room number which he provided. Other detectives observed a car enter the hotel parking lot driven by a man later identified as William Miller, who lives near the border of the Bluff and Downtown, and including as passengers the juvenile and a woman later identified as Danielle Gianoni of Homewood.
The three suspects entered the hotel and went to the room. When the undercover detective said he was uncomfortable with a man being present, Mr. Miller said, "It's cool. I'm just making sure it's safe." He left the room and said he would be right outside.
First Published February 11, 2012 12:30 am
