Mom pleads guilty to running sex biz with daughter

Traci Young, the Northeast Philly woman who made up one half of a mother-daughter team allegedly offering "erotic services" in a Craigslist ad last year, pleaded guilty yesterday to charges of promoting prostitution and conspiracy.

Young, 39, who gave her address as Salmon Street near Ontario, in Port Richmond, came to court with her boyfriend, David Riley, 28, and wept in the gallery after her plea.

Under the plea agreement, Young is expected to be sentenced May 14 by Common Pleas Judge Michael Erdos to three to 23 months in county prison, followed by three years' probation.

Young and her daughter, Tami Smith, 22, had touted themselves on the Internet as a sexy mother-daughter team. Their Craigslist ad showed them sitting in tank tops on a plush sectional couch and contained big, bold letters stating, "Make the right choice and call us."

Police Officer Donald Paxton, working undercover as a "john," made an appointment with Young for the afternoon of Oct. 2.

Assistant District Attorney Michael Bonner, in reading a summary of facts in the case yesterday, said that Paxton had gone to Young's home, on Ditman Street near Benner, in Wissinoming.

There, Young introduced Paxton to her daughter and instructed him to pay $200, which he did, Bonner said.

Paxton was told he would get a half hour of "full service" sex with both the mom and daughter. Paxton testified at a preliminary hearing in December that Smith told him that he would " 'start with mom and finish with me [the daughter].' "

Public defender David DeRidder told the judge yesterday that it was the daughter, Smith, and not his client who detailed the "services" that $200 would buy.

The officer then asked if Young had condoms, and since she didn't, Young and her boyfriend, Riley, went to a store to get some, Bonner said.

After they returned, the mother and daughter began to undress, then Paxton called backup officers into the house, Bonner said.

Both women were arrested. Riley, who police have said was hiding in a crawl space in the bathroom with a small amount of marijuana, also was arrested, but charges against him were dismissed by a judge in December for lack of evidence.

After yesterday's hearing, Young confirmed that Smith is her biological daughter. Of her case, she said the media "made a mockery" of it.

Riley contended that there were "a lot of false statements" in the news. When asked what was false, he said it wasn't true that "we weren't taking care of" Young's grandchildren.

Riley also alleged that Young was just giving regular massage services and was not acting as a prostitute. "That's my girlfriend. I wouldn't let her [do that]."

In exchange for the plea, the prosecution dropped other charges against Young - criminal use of a communication facility and criminal solicitation.

Smith, meanwhile, faces an April 17 trial. *