Man jailed for prostitution

Upholding policy created to safeguard the welfare of residents and tourists in the CNMI, Associate Judge Juan Lizama issued Friday a ruling that convicted Chinese national Xiang Jun Yang of promoting prostitution in the second degree.

Mr. Yang is the third of eleven suspects convicted of the crime after the Department of Public Safety launched its “Operation Red Light Four” undercover investigation that aimed to curb prostitution at Saipan’s busiest commercial district.

According to Mr. Lizama, when lawmakers enacted statutes against solicitation of prostitution, the policies were meant to protect tourists and residents from the illegal acts.

“This is a deterrent public policy that the Legislature intended to ensure tourists’ and residents’ safety and to make the CNMI a secure place to visit,” said Mr. Lizama.

The judge qualified the pieces of evidence presented before the court as clear proof that Mr. Yang last April 12, 2000 had solicited two Japanese males to avail of commercial sex when he asked them to follow him to the premises that he claimed offered sexual services.

The court also labeled discussions between Mr. Yang and the two Japanese males that fateful day as an encounter that clearly attempted to entice the individuals guised as tourists into the committing acts of soliciting prostitution.

“The court finds beyond a reason of a doubt that he committed a crime,” said the judge.

Further, an additional $3,000 bail was set for Mr. Yang’s temporary release, pending an appeal. The defendant was also remanded to police custody after his trial Friday.

During the course of Mr. Yang’s bench trial, the prosecution produced three key witnesses that vouched for the defendant’s involvement in the prostitution scam.

The witnesses included a police officer that claimed he saw from a distance the suspect almost strike a deal with the stand-in customers, pretending to seek sexual companionship that evening of April 2000.

Court proceedings revealed that the two other witnesses were part of the intelligence operation. Their assistance in the investigation was apparently tapped by police.

The second witness positively identified Mr. Yang from across the courtroom, confirming he was the very same individual who had recommended he avail of massage services at a place in Western Garapan for a sum of $120.

“He said, whatever massage I wanted, the girls would do everything. He also specified intercourse,” said the witness yesterday.

He further testified that the suspect even enumerated the price range for the girls available: $120 for women aged 19 to 26 and $70 for women over age 26.

According to the witness, Mr. Yang had introduced himself as an employee of a Japanese karaoke or snack bar located at Saipan’s busiest commercial district.

The suspect then invited the witness and his companion to follow him to an area at the back of a shop where the women were at.

The witness claimed he declined the suspect’s offer and immediately proceeded to the Dai-Ichi Hotel to use the telephone, where he called the police to report on what had transpired.