Lewiston police conducted an undercover sting operation this week, and arrested eight people.

The operation was an effort to reduce the number of women being forced or coerced into prostitution through human sex trafficking. This particular sting specifically targeted people soliciting sex for money through the use of online escort sites. Eight people were charged with engaging a prostitute, as a result of the sting. Although Lewiston Police shared their pictures on the department's Facebook page, their names were not released.

The Lewsiton Sun Journal identified those arrested as:

• Randall Call, 61, of Gorham;
• Roger Chicoine, 50, of Livermore Falls;
• Robert Grasse, 64, of West Gardiner;
• Michael Harris, 57, of Wilton;
• Mark Merrill, 51, of Brunswick;
• Heidi Robinson, 35, of Lewiston;
• Kyle Stretton, 30, of Lewiston;
• Nathaniel Wade, 55, of Waterville

The sting was a collaborative effort between police departments from Lewiston, Lisbon, and South Portland, as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Homeland Security Investigations, the Maine Department of Corrections, and the Androscoggin County District Attorney's office.

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