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Pricey friend escorted to jail
By BRADY DENNIS, Times Staff Writer
But investigators claim she'll also have sex. Blue, whose real name is Kimberly Beth Larabee, was arrested by Pasco County sheriff's deputies Tuesday morning on a Hillsborough County warrant charging her with conspiracy to racketeer, four counts of prostitution and three counts of operating a place for prostitution. Authorities said Larabee is one of many people linked to www.bigdoggie.net, a Web site that they say contains message boards for prostitution in all 50 states and several countries. For $129.95 a year, members of the Web site, called "hobbyists," received detailed instructions on a range of topics, such as how to hire an "escort" or "provider," and a glossary of terms to use for sexual acts, authorities say. Investigators on Tuesday arrested a New Tampa man, 51-year-old Charles Kelly, who they said owned and operated the site. They promised to make many more arrests in the case in coming weeks. At the Land O'Lakes jail on Wednesday, where Larabee remained in lieu of $80,000 bail, she told a reporter that she was "dumbfounded" when deputies showed up to arrest her. "Am I an escort? Yes. Do I escort people to functions for companionship? Yes," said Larabee, 31, of 21031 Little Lake Thomas Road in Land O'Lakes. "I go on dates -- dinners, functions, parties. (Authorities) think it's more than it is. "Of course I'm surprised, dear (about being arrested). I didn't do anything illegal." Larabee pointed out that her business, which she runs through www.tabithablue.net, is registered with the state. Records show that her business license is good through 2007. The site provides a disclaimer about the services she provides, saying that "any payments are for time and companionship only, and that the activities of consenting adults in a private dwelling is simply a matter of personal choice based on natural attractions." But it also makes those who contact her agree that they are "not an employee, contractor or volunteer of any law enforcement agency." The site contains a series of references beyond the typical dinner date. One writer in the "reviews" section of the site wrote of his encounter with Tabitha Blue: "I don't know what she did . . . but it was an orgasm that I have never experienced before." Another wrote: "She was the best companion anyone could ask for. All I know is, if you treat her right she will treat you right." Larabee, a.k.a. Blue, describes herself on the site as an "elite escort" who caters to "affluent gentlemen" and "sensual couples with a generous nature for erotic companionship." She charges from $300 for an hour to $1,000 for four hours. She also lists a "couples rate" for an additional $175. Neighbors on the peaceful street where Larabee lives said the arrest caught them off guard. They described her as a quiet neighbor who raises Great Danes and waves when she passes in her gray Toyota Tacoma. "It's a little surprising. I wouldn't have expected anything like that," said Larry Drury, who lives across the street. "I never saw any evidence of that kind of lifestyle. She was a good neighbor. No problems." Neighbor Earl Talbott agreed. "You really wouldn't expect it," Talbott said. "She pretty much kept to herself. She didn't cause any trouble around here." Tuesday's arrest wasn't Larabee's first brush with the law. Records show that she pleaded no contest in 1996 to a charge of criminal mischief and agreed to pay restitution after she poured a can of paint on top of the motorcycle of a man she was upset with. She also was convicted of a 1997 marijuana possession charge in Polk County. She was arrested later in 1997 for violating her probation on the criminal mischief charge. Pasco deputies arrested Larabee on a charge of battery in February 2001. Authorities said she scratched, bit and ripped the shirt off a man who was living with her. Larabee vowed Wednesday to fight the prostitution charges. She said there was much more to the story but didn't go into detail. "I could tell you stories that could fill a book," she said. Larabee ended the interview after being asked the details of her $300-an-hour dates, saying she feared that talking to a reporter might hurt her case. She also said that she was worried about her cats and dogs at home but had little else to say unless the reporter had "$8,000 to bail me out of here." -- Brady Dennis covers the city of Zephyrhills and crime in east Pasco. To reach him, call (352) 521-5757, ext. 23, or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6108, then 23. His e-mail address is dennis@sptimes.com.
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From today's Pasco Times Letters |
