KENNESAW - Cobb Police say the efforts of a thorough patrol officer led to the bust a small-time prostitution business that advertised on Craigslist.

Officer J.R. Israel arrested three women and three men on Saturday as a result of his normal patrol of motels and other locations in precinct one, which covers northwest Cobb. Israel made the arrests after initially interviewing a woman outside of Crestwood Suites, an extended stay motel across from Town Center at Cobb mall, at 2353 Barrett Creek Parkway in Kennesaw.

According to police, the woman told Israel that she was a prostitute and volunteered other information during questioning that led to the arrests and seizure of illegal drugs. Police said the drugs were in plain sight of the officer when motel occupants opened their doors.

"Literally, one thing just led to another," Cobb police spokesman Sgt. Dana Pierce said. "More questions led to other search warrants. Every time (Israel) turned around, he was dealing with a new situation that violated state law, and that's how he made his arrests."

Christine Grace Proctor, 34, of Marietta, was charged by police with keeping a place of prostitution and masturbation for hire-prostitution, both misdemeanors, and felony methamphetamine possession.

Sheryl L. Pierce, 43, of Jacksonville, Fla., was charged with keeping a place of prostitution, marijuana possession of less than one ounce, and felony cocaine possession.

Lori Ann Mcquillen, 30, of Douglasville, and Shane Anthony Wimpey, 42, of Kennesaw, were both charged with six counts of drug possession and one count of intent to distribute, all felonies.

Thomas Paul Wishart, 42, of Gainesville, Fla., was charged with marijuana possession of less than an ounce and felony cocaine possession.

Police accused Proctor and Pierce of admitting that they were prostitutes. The department's high tech crime unit confirmed the women had advertised sexual services on Craigslist, which also displayed "provocative pictures" and pricelists, according to an arrest warrant.

A man identified in Proctor's warrant as Donald Harvey Holland of Flowery Branch, told police that Proctor performed a sexual act on him and that he paid her $200. Proctor admitted to doing so, according to police, who said she was in possession of $200.

Holland, 43, was charged by police with pandering, or soliciting prostitution.

Police said they found drugs in both women's hotel rooms.

In the same room as Pierce was Wishart, whom police accused of possessing 0.5 grams of crack cocaine, as well as multiple glass pipes containing cocaine residue. They also reported that two plastic bottles containing marijuana, marijuana wrapped in paper and a glass smoking device that contained marijuana residue, were found in the room.

Police reported that Mcquillen and Wimpey were in possession a number of drugs, including cocaine, methamphetamine, clonazepam, hydrocodone, alprazolam and suboxone.

When the Journal contacted Crestwood Suites, supervisor Julie Taylor declined to discuss the arrests.

Pierce said it's common for patrol officers to "zone patrol" areas, looking for suspicious activity. He said it's common knowledge among police that people use Web sites such as Craiglist - which features free online classifieds - to sell sexual services.

"We know that these local motels are notorious for drug activity, alcohol and basically violations of state law. This is no secret to us. We try to zone patrol with the time allowed of these areas and that's what this officer did," Pierce said. "If more officers did this everyday, we wouldn't probably see a lot of that happening. He stayed with his nose to the ground."