The Upper West Side physics professor accused of running a prostitution website knew investigators were on to him months before his arrest, but as hard as he tried he couldn't make the incriminating content on the site go away, according to police. David Flory, a 68-year-old married grandfather who teaches at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, was arrested on Sunday in New Mexico, where he has a vacation home, and where investigators say he operated the site "Southwest Companions" for three years, connecting about 200 prostitutes and about 1,200 johns. He told police it was just a "hobby" but it seems he knew his harmless pastime would be his downfall. And now he has the Secret Service on his back!
The Post reports that the US Secret Service is separately investigating whether Flory made money creating personal Web sites for hookers who used his site. "We're looking at the interstate angle and potential wire fraud," Special Agent Rich Ferretti tells the tabloid, and New Mexico police believe Flory set up the website for a Colorado escort named "Krispi Kreme." (It's a pretty classy [NSFW] site!) But it appears that Flory was no web "master," because he reportedly sought help from tech message boards on how to delete explicit posts.
"I think he was starting to get hinked up and he was trying to hide his involvement," said Lt. William Roseman in Albuquerque tells the Post, introducing us to a new slang phrase—according to Urban Dictionary, an alleged criminal is "hinked up" when "they believe that the cops are after them, or when they have figured out that the cops know their whereabouts." The Post reports that the professor repeatedly turned to tech message boards but was unable to delete the incriminating content, returning again to ask for "Help, please!"
In other "Screw U." news, the AP reports that New Mexico police have made a second arrest in the case, collaring 28-year-old Cara Garrett, whom they say threatened another woman who helped police in their investigation. Garrett was booked for bribery and intimidation of a witness, and is currently in custody in Roswell.
