Members of the Woburn Police Department arrested three women following separate investigations on charges of sexual conduct for a fee. 

According to a release, on Friday, March 1, members of the Woburn Police Department Vice/Narcotics Unit, including Detective Mark O’Hearn and Detective Angelo J. Piazza, Jr. participated in prostitution investigations. Also assisting in the investigations were Capt. Robert F. Rufo, Jr., Southern Middlesex Regional Drug Task Force member/detectives Robert Delaney, John Ryan, Michael Sullivan and Detective James Rettman of the Lexington Police Department.

Each case was investigated separately. In each case police monitored advertisements for activities often related to prostitution. In each investigation an undercover police officer met with the women in rooms of local hotels and paid them money on the premise of paying for sexual conduct. In each case all funds provided were recovered following the arrest.

As a result of the investigations police arrested the following suspects: 

Ximei Hu, 48, of 35 Bernier Street Apt. 15, Lowell, on the charges of Sexual Conduct for a Fee and Unlicensed Massage/Baths.

Natalie Thompson, 33, of 130 Callender St., Apt. 1, Dorchester on the charge of Sexual Conduct for a Fee.

Nichole S. Harris, 24, of 1131 Snyder Ave., Philadelphia, PA on a Sexual Conduct for a Fee charge.

Prostitution, a quality of life issue in that it often takes place in hotels, office buildings, and/or apartment buildings where there is pedestrian traffic where customers often blend in, is often associated with drug usage, drug addiction, sexually transmitted diseases, human trafficking, abuse and violence including assaults, rape, and robbery, the release states.