Sex solicitation ad leads to arrest

An ad posted by a man offering to pay for sex got a Galax man arrested when the person who answered his call turned out to be working undercover.
Galax police were contacted May 16 by a concerned citizen who saw an ad posted by someone offering to pay for sex.
Galax Police Chief Rick Clark said a female Galax police employee made contact with the suspect, who agreed to meet her.
Officers arrested Steven Shane Patrick, 40, of Galax and charged him with soliciting prostitution and misdemeanor possession of marijuana.
Clark commended Sgt. Shawny Jones and his team for thinking “outside the box” to make the arrest.
“It was a reported crime that we very seldom investigate,” the chief said. “They did a great job stopping this repulsive activity.”
Clark said this arrest also shows the value of the department’s recent push to reach out to citizens through text message crime reports and social media interaction. The case “proves that when citizens report activity and suspicious behavior, it helps.”
For example, on May 9 two different citizens called and reported their suspicions. “Two people were arrested for a series of crimes that would have gone unsolved without their help,” Clark said.