Police Seek Palmer House Call Girl Extortion Victims
Police believe a woman arrested at a posh Chicago hotel in a sex sting was blackmailing men.
NBC5 has learned this isn't the first time the woman has made the news in association with a sex sting.
Police arrested Nicole "Pepper" Prigger, 27, in a room at the Palmer House Hilton downtown Monday night. They said they found a high-tech blackmail set up in her room. They believe she was turning $500 tricks and secretly videotaping them, NBC5's Darren Kramer reported.
On Monday, members from the vice unit met Prigger at the Palmer House for an "exotic" massage. She didn't offer any sexual acts, but police found a hidden camera on the bedstand and a binder full of physical evidence from her clients. The files contained men's names and used condoms, presumably for keeping their DNA for blackmail.
"She had DNA evidence," said Chicago Police Sgt. Michael Malone. "She was saving used condoms. She had personal information on previous clients. She was cataloging all this information."
Police believe Prigger kept the evidence for possible extortion. "We believe that's what all the evidence indicates," Malone said. "As of this time, we have no victim of extortion."
Prigger is free on bond. She was charged with illegal videotaping inside a hotel room.
She made headlines for a late 1990s sex scandal in the Seattle area, which shook Washington State Police. She and her state trooper boyfriend there were investigated for prostitution and money laundering. Reports said the money added up to "six figures."
The case ended with an out-of-court settlement, and Prigger's trooper boyfriend left the force. Prigger has three Washington prostitution arrests, but she walked in that case.
Chicago police admit they believe Prigger knew what she was doing because police don't have enough evidence to charge her with prostitution or extortion.
"She stated that she suspected the covert officer to be the police, so she wouldn't cross over that boundary, so we don't have the elements for a prostitution arrest," said Malone.
Police hope one of the men in Prigger's DNA file will come forward and help police press extortion charges, but that might be tough, as police say there will be no guarantees that when the men come forward they won't face solicitation charges.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-05-07 04:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Police believe a woman arrested at a posh Chicago hotel in a sex sting was blackmailing men.
NBC5 has learned this isn't the first time the woman has made the news in association with a sex sting.
Police arrested Nicole "Pepper" Prigger, 27, in a room at the Palmer House Hilton downtown Monday night. They said they found a high-tech blackmail set up in her room. They believe she was turning $500 tricks and secretly videotaping them, NBC5's Darren Kramer reported.
On Monday, members from the vice unit met Prigger at the Palmer House for an "exotic" massage. She didn't offer any sexual acts, but police found a hidden camera on the bedstand and a binder full of physical evidence from her clients. The files contained men's names and used condoms, presumably for keeping their DNA for blackmail.
"She had DNA evidence," said Chicago Police Sgt. Michael Malone. "She was saving used condoms. She had personal information on previous clients. She was cataloging all this information."
Police believe Prigger kept the evidence for possible extortion. "We believe that's what all the evidence indicates," Malone said. "As of this time, we have no victim of extortion."
Prigger is free on bond. She was charged with illegal videotaping inside a hotel room.
She made headlines for a late 1990s sex scandal in the Seattle area, which shook Washington State Police. She and her state trooper boyfriend there were investigated for prostitution and money laundering. Reports said the money added up to "six figures."
The case ended with an out-of-court settlement, and Prigger's trooper boyfriend left the force. Prigger has three Washington prostitution arrests, but she walked in that case.
Chicago police admit they believe Prigger knew what she was doing because police don't have enough evidence to charge her with prostitution or extortion.
"She stated that she suspected the covert officer to be the police, so she wouldn't cross over that boundary, so we don't have the elements for a prostitution arrest," said Malone.
Police hope one of the men in Prigger's DNA file will come forward and help police press extortion charges, but that might be tough, as police say there will be no guarantees that when the men come forward they won't face solicitation charges.