Dozen men arrested in St. Petersburg prostitution sting

ST. PETERSBURG — Police arrested 12 men Monday afternoon during a prostitution sting near the Cactus Motel.

The motel at 1600 34th St. N is a high-traffic area for prostitutes, police said. The sting went from 1 to 10 p.m., with a female police officer posing as a prostitute.

During that time, 11 of the men were charged with soliciting for prostitution, one with trespassing, one for having a concealed firearm. Six had their vehicles impounded, and two had bicycles impounded.

"We've had problems in this area in the past," said police spokesman Mike Puetz. "It was picked for that reason."