OCEAN CITY – One of the two women arrested by resort police for prostitution last September appeared in District Court this week and received a brief reprieve in her ongoing case when the charges were essentially dropped over a few technicalities. The case will not end ther,e however; the alleged working girl will soon be recharged for prostitution.
Jaclyn Marie Hallman, 22, of Laurel, Md., stood tearfully in District Court last Wednesday morning as her attorney argued the legality of the charging papers issued to his client. After several minutes of hearing arguments on both sides, Judge Daniel Mumford ruled in favor of the defense, agreeing that there were some technicalities with the charging documents that needed to be worked out. As a result, the state’s attorney declared a nolle prosequi in the case, which basically means the case was dismissed, noting that the state would be recharging Hallman.
“You’re just dragging out the inevitable,” said Judge Daniel Mumford, alluding to the fact that Hallman would be recharged and would be reappearing in District Court at a later date.
Police arrested both Hallman and another woman, Theresa Maria Amoroso, 31, of Narbeth, Pa. in September as a result of an Internet sting.
Amoroso appeared in District Court last month, pleading guilty to charges of prostitution. Amoroso was sentenced to a year in jail. Her sentence was suspended, however, and she was fined $500 and placed on probation for three years.
Ocean City police arrested Amoroso and Hallman in September after it came to light they were offering erotic services in the local area through the Internet.
On Sept. 8, 2007, the undercover detective contacted one of the women advertising prostitution on the Internet. The suspect, later identified as Amoroso, told the detective she would meet him in town.
At the pre-arranged time, the detective met Amoroso in a local hotel lobby, and after a few minutes, the two went upstairs to a room. Amoroso was then arrested and charged with prostitution. She later told police she had been to Ocean City three separate times last summer and each time made at least $5,000.
OCPD detectives later discovered another woman advertising erotic services on the Internet. The detectives contacted the suspect, later identified as Hallman, 22, via email on Sept. 15 and Hallman responded she would be available on the next day. After a brief meeting, Hallman was arrested and charged with prostitution. She told police she had done this 10 times before in Ocean City.