The Abbotsford police arrested 10 men during a John sting conducted on Thursday and Friday (Sept. 13 and 14).
Abbotsord Police Const. Ian MacDonald said the men face charges of communicating for the purposes of prostitution.
They were released on a promise to attend John School, after which charges will be dropped, or they can choose to go through the court process.
He explained John School is a education program that teaches potential sex trade consumers about the victimization of prostitutes from a physical, emotional and societal standpoint. There is anecdotal evidence that the school is effective.
"We have found the likelihood of encountering them again engaging with sex trade workers is slim," said MacDonald, and added that if the accused are charged a second time they will not be given the opportunity to avoid the courts by going to John School.
The John Sting was conducted in two areas – the historic downtown area, and in the centre of the city – but most of the charges resulted from the downtown sting.