Cal Millar

23 arrested in sweep of homosexual prostitutes

A 15-year-old and a seventeen-year-old were among those arrested police said.

The arrests occurred after a fourteen-member undercover squad combed the an area near Queens Park bounded by Wellesley St., University Ave., Yonge St., and College St. to nab males offering sexual services to other men. all the suspects were ordered held in custody.

They will appear for a bail hearing in 101 court at old city hall today.

Stiff bail conditions

Despite concern about the deadly AIDS virus. police taking part in the sweep took no special precautions and those arrested will not be automatically tested for the disease, police said.

However, one investigator noted that, unlike female prostitutes, none of the men who were arrested carried condoms as protection against infection with the virus causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

A spokesman said today's sweep was part of a Metro police campaign to combat prostitution and reduce crime in the homosexual community.

Although police nabbed several people in the homosexual Track area, a spokesman said this mornings project was the first major attempt to round up suspects engaging in male prostitution.

There have been several earlier sweeps in downtown and west-end Toronto and the Lake Shore Blvd., district of Etobicoke to arrest female prostitutes and their customers, the spokesman said.

Increased assaults

All suspects picked up today were charged with communicating for the purpose of prostitution, but several face other charges, including obstructing justice, attempting to escape custody and assault.

One suspect was also charged with robbing a Montreal businessman in March at a downtown hotel. The victim was attacked and robbed after inviting a man he met on the street to his hotel room.

The suspect, who had been deported from Canada several weeks ago, also faces drug charges after an undercover policeman was offered cocaine. A small quantity was seized police said.

Robert Hall, 21 of of Buffalo, was charged with prostitution, robbery, and possession of narcotics for the purposes of trafficking.