Third Man Arrested in Rochester Prostitution Bust Pleads Guilty

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - Three of the seven men charged in the aftermath of an undercover "sting" sex trafficking investigation conducted by Rochester police earlier this year have now entered guilty pleas and a fourth is no longer in the US.

47-year-old Russell Jay Hodge was arrested in April after he arrived at an arranged meeting spot in Rochester after communicating online with a person he was led to believe was a female under the age of 18. It was actually an undercover police officer.

According to the criminal complaint, the Stewartville man was among the men who responded to online advertisements created by Rochester police that featured a female offering sexual acts or services in exchange for money. The court document says the ads were posted on websites that are known to be used by people seeking to purchase sex.

Earlier this week, Hodge entered a guilty plea to a prostitution charge involving a person he reasonably believed was under the age of 18. He is scheduled to be sentenced in October.

On Monday, 22-year-old Antonio Hernandez Cruz entered a guilty plea to the same charge stemming from the same "sting" investigation. The Rochester man was sentenced to three years on probation.

The other guilty plea was entered by 21-year-old Benjamin Michael Kinyon of Rochester earlier this year. He is scheduled to be sentenced in December.

A fourth defendant in the case has been deported from the United States. Court records show the immigration action involving 48-year-old Hilario Perez Zenil occurred shortly before he was scheduled to appear in court in June.