NICOLLET COUNTY — Law enforcement personnel from the Nicollet County Sheriff’s Office, New Ulm Police Department, Mankato Department of Public Safety and Minnesota River Valley Drug Task Force arrested six suspects in a May 3 prostitution sting investigation.

Law enforcement used the Internet to pose as prostitutes and responded to ads selling sex where the six suspects agreed to trade sex or sexual acts for money. Suspects were arrested and transported to the Nicollet County Jail where they were processed and released, pending formal charges.

Suspects ranged in age from a 73-year-old rural St. Peter man, a 54-year-old St. Louis Park woman, 35-year-old St. Peter man, 33-year-old Minneapolis man, 30-year-old Blooming Prairie man, a 28-year-old Faribault woman and a 24-year-old La Crescent man who advertised he would provide sex to women for money.

“It’s the first time we arrested a man who wanted to sell sex to women,” said Nicollet County Sheriffs’ Officer Investigator Marc Chadderdon.

Since November 2014, 116 suspects have been arrested for prostitution-related events in Nicollet, Brown and Blue Earth counties.

“The problem is a statewide issue. We are attempting to address it in our communities,” read a Nicollet County Sheriff’s Office press release.

“The total number of inquiries that we receive has dropped slightly during each operation,” read the release. “We are continuing to try to get the message out that Minnesota girls are not for sale in southern Minnesota.”