Three arrested on prostitution charges

A Kennett Township man and two women have been arrested on a variety of prostitution charges, state police said yesterday.

Stephen Arnold Clark, 62, who resides in the 100 block of Round Hill Road, was taken into custody yesterday following a six-week undercover investigation. Police said Craigslist was used to advertise the sexual services of two women who worked out of his residence.

Clark was arraigned yesterday afternoon on charges of promoting prostitution in his home and then released on bail. In an interview afterward, he said he would vigorously defend himself against the charges. "There are definitely mitigating circumstances," he said.

The women, Cara Briana Martin, 31, and Lacey Nicole Welsh, 20, both of Kennett Square, were arrested Tuesday, police said; they face charges of prostitution, criminal conspiracy, and drug offenses.

Martin, who spent time in jail in 1995 on theft charges, was remanded to Chester County Prison after failing to post $10,000 cash bail, and Welsh was released on $10,000 unsecured bail, court records said. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for both Dec. 9 before District Judge Daniel Maisano in Kennett Square.

According the search warrant the police obtained to enter Clark's home, Martin, under the alias of Dana Didziak, has a history of arrests on prostitution and other charges in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

The ads on Craigslist told potential customers seeking directions to Clark's home that it was near Kennett High School, the search warrant said. Police said the investigation is continuing.

According to court records, Clark, who had owned the Kennett Township home with his ex-wife, paid $1 for the property in August 2006 as part of a divorce settlement.