Man accused of sex trafficking
CRANBERRY TWP — An Oklahoma man was arrested Wednesday for allegedly running a prostitution ring out of a township hotel.
Cranberry police arrested Oscar Carter III, 53, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, after receiving a tip from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Pittsburgh.
According to the criminal complaint, the FBI and Pittsburgh police arrested a juvenile female on March 14 as part of a prostitution sting. The girl told police she had been recruited into the ring from Akron, Ohio, by a man nicknamed “Unique.” Police later determined that man to be Carter.
The girl was also found to have a key card for a room at the Woodsprings Suites hotel in Cranberry. She told police Carter was running a prostitution ring out of the hotel, and he had driven her to Pittsburgh in a black Dodge sedan.
Police confirmed Carter had reserved a room at the hotel and also found the Dodge sedan, which was registered to another person who the juvenile said was involved in operating the ring.
Police conducted surveillance on the hotel while search warrants were secured, but Carter left the hotel during that time.
A traffic stop was made Wednesday on Thompson Park Drive and Carter was arrested. The complaint states he had $1,700 in cash with him, and did not have a valid driver's license.
Police searched the vehicle and the hotel room, and allegedly found unlawful access device-making equipment, counterfeit access device cards, a “binder of websites” on how to rewrite access devices, fake identification cards and a log book of prostitution appointments, including one that had been set up as the sting by Pittsburgh police.
Carter faces felony charges for trafficking in minors, promoting prostitution of a minor, use of a computerized device in the commission of the alleged crimes, and possessing counterfeit gift and credit cards. He also faces misdemeanor charges of possessing those cards and possession of marijuana, as well as a charge of driving without a license.
A preliminary hearing set for Thursday was postponed until April 6 before District Judge David T. Kovach. Carter remains in Butler County Prison.
