Man accused of prostitution waives preliminary hearing

A 22-year-old man accused of prostitution in the area of North Lumpkin Road early Wednesday appeared in Columbus Recorder’s Court the following day.

Curtis Jonathan Hill, 22, pleaded not guilty to prostitution and obstruction before waiving his preliminary hearing to State Court. He was ordered held in the Muscogee County Jail under bonds totaling $500.

Columbus police said they performed a traffic stop on a bronze 2014 Cadenza that had stopped at an intersection near North Lumpkin Road for an unusually long amount of time before turning around in a parking lot and traveling back onto the roadway.

Authorities said it’s an area where prostitutes are known to frequent.

Inside the vehicle was a male driver and Hill, according to police. The defendant told police that he and the motorist were friends from church.

Police said they were still questioning Hill when he fled the scene on foot. He was tackled to the ground after as brief chase.

Further into the investiagtion, the driver told officials that he picked Hill up in the area thinking he was a female prostitute but planned to drop him off once he realized he was not. No agreement was made and no money was exchanged, police confirmed.

The driver was not taken into custody.

This story was originally published April 28, 2016 at 2:27 PM with the headline "Man accused of prostitution waives preliminary hearing."