Prostitute Raffle

(Columbus, Ohio) It's a good thing this scheme failed. Otherwise, the perpetrators might have tried something even more illegal.

A college adviser and a real estate agent joined together to hold a raffle that offered an evening with a prostitute who is also a child sex-abuse caseworker, police said.

The operation was organized through the Web site Craigslist.com, where several hundred customers posted comments about prostitutes they had hired.

Christopher S. Johnson, 33, an academic adviser at Ohio State University's School of Nursing, organized the chat board and the raffle, police said.

Rusty Blades, a 42-year-old real estate agent, held an invitation-only party in October for the men and a group of prostitutes at one of his houses, police said. The men bought $10 raffle tickets for a chance to spend time with one of the prostitutes.

Both Johnson and Blades were charged with promoting prostitution. A judge set bail Saturday at $50,000 for Blades and $25,000 for Johnson.

Child-sex abuse caseworker who allegedly moonlights as a prostitute, 31-year-old Vanise Dunn, has been charged with prostitution. OSU's Johnson was placed on administrative leave while the university investigates.