Dive Summary:
- In 2011, F. Chris Garcia, a political science professor at the University of New Mexico who once served as the university's interim president, was arrested and charged by the Albuquerque police with maintaining a place of prostitution after the IP-address of www.southwestcompanions.com was traced back to him; Garcia, a recipient of the American Political Science Association Distinguished Service Award, has had his university privileges revoked until the resolution of the case.
- In July 2012, a District Court judge dismissed the charges against Garcia after determining that the website was not a brothel despite the fact that the site connected prostitutes with clients.
- The state's Supreme Court is being asked to reconsider the dismissal; if successful, the prosecution plans to convoke a grand jury to decide whether Garcia will be indicted.
From the article:
"Can a chatroom be a brothel?
That’s the question New Mexico’s highest court will consider in the case of a retired university president and professor implicated in an alleged online prostitution ring. ..."