BELLINGHAM - A 22-year-old man accused of promoting prostitution of girls made his first appearance in court Monday, Feb. 6.
A 17-year-old Tacoma girl was arrested about a week ago at a hotel in the 4200 block of Meridian Street by plainclothes police officers who had been investigating prostitution in Bellingham, said police spokesman Mark Young.
Officers were then led to Reggie M. Crume Jr., of Tacoma, who was in the lobby of the hotel "grooming" another 16-year-old girl to go into prostitution, Young said.
Because the investigation is ongoing, Young declined to say whether Crume and the 16-year-old set up a meeting or any details about how she was being groomed. He also declined to say whether Crume is involved in a larger juvenile prostitution ring.
Crume was arrested and charged with second-degree promoting prostitution.
The 17-year-old girl was referred to juvenile court and put into the custody of Child Protective Services.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.