Friday, November 16 - Judge Orders Fine, Probation For Prostitute

OCEAN CITY - One of two women arrested by resort police for prostitution after getting snared in an Internet sting pleaded guilty last week in Ocean City District Court and was sentenced to a year in jail, all of which was suspended in favor of a hefty fine and a considerable probation period.

Theresa Maria Amoroso, 31, of Narbeth, Pa., appeared in District Court in Ocean City last week to face prostitution charges following her arrest in the resort in September. Amoroso pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a year in jail. Her sentence was suspended and she was fined $500 and placed on probation for three years.

Amoroso was one of two women arrested by Ocean City Police in September after it came to light they were offering erotic services in the local area through the Internet. In early September, resort police received several calls about prostitution in Ocean City. An OCPD undercover detective later discovered prostitution advertising on the Internet. On one of the websites, the working girls offered to meet prospective clients at resort motels to provide services at a price.

On Sept. 8, the undercover detective contacted one of the women advertising prostitution on the Internet. The suspect, later identified as Amoroso, told the detective she would meet him at a pre-arranged location in Ocean City on Sept. 12. Amoroso told the detective her services would cost him $300 for one hour or $500 for two hours.

At the pre-arranged time, the detective met Amoroso in a local hotel lobby, and after a few minutes, the two went upstairs to a room. Amoroso was then arrested and charged with prostitution. She later told police she had been to Ocean City three separate times last summer and each time made at least $5,000.

As part of the ongoing investigation, OCPD detectives discovered another woman advertising erotic services on the Internet. The detectives contacted the suspect, later identified as Jaclyn Marie Hallman, 22, of Laurel, Md., via email on Sept. 15 and Hallman responded she would be available on the next day. She informed the officer her rates were $350 per hour. After a brief meeting, Hallman was arrested and charged with prostitution. She told police she had done this 10 times before in Ocean City, earning $350 each time. Hallman is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 16.