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Police: Sex sellers preyed on migrants
Farmworkers in Cayuga County robbed after buying sex, police said.

Saturday, October 14, 2006
By Scott Rapp
Staff writer

Two Auburn women and a Sodus man have been arrested in connection with running a prostitution ring that was also burglarizing and robbing migrant farmworkers in southern Cayuga County, Sheriff Rob Outhouse said Friday.

More arrests are pending against other women involved in the ring who traded sexual favors for money, he said.

The ring operated from late summer or early fall 2005 to this past August, and the arrests cap a 10-month investigation, Outhouse said.

He said the suspects were preying on a population that is hesitant to report crimes for many reasons and said there's no doubt more offenses may have been committed and gone unreported. No one deserves to be preyed on, he said.

"It's important for people to recognize that no one should be a victim of a predator no matter what social class or strata you're in," Outhouse said.

Arrested were:

Õ7BrownÕ Ö Clarence Brown, 54, of 8668 York Settlement Road, Sodus, on felony charges of second-degree robbery and burglary, and one count of fourth-degree promoting prostitution, a misdemeanor.

Brown was arrested Monday and is being held in county jail without bail. He is not a U.S. citizen and faces additional charges in connection to his citizenship status, Outhouse said.

Õ7 Terwilliger Õ Ö Shannon E. Terwilliger, 25, of 19 Orchard St., Auburn, on two counts of second-degree burglary and second-degree robbery, all felonies; and one count of fourth-degree promoting prostitution and petit larceny, both misdemeanors.

She was arrested Oct. 5 and remains in county jail in lieu of $2,500 cash or $5,000 bail bond, Outhouse said.

Õ7FinnertyÕ Ö Kelly M. Finnerty, 25, of 19 Orchard St., Auburn, on felony counts of second-degree robbery and second-degree burglary. She was arrested Thursday and posted bail, Outhouse said.

The investigation was hampered by cultural and language barriers between farmworkers and investigators, Outhouse said. Some of the victims also distrusted law enforcement because they are illegal immigrants or they know someone who is one, he said.

"It took a lot of work to put this together," he said.

Here's how the prostitution ring operated, Outhouse said:

After making connections at various farmworker camps, Brown and Terwilliger would introduce prostitutes to the workers. While the laborer and prostitute were having sex, Brown, Finnerty and Terwilliger would go into another room and steal money and other items, the sheriff said.

Once, they held a male victim on the floor and stole money from him. Other times, they would return to a worker's residence on a different day, break in, and rob money and items., Outhouse said.