WCNC File

Sallie and Donald Saxon are transported back to jail following a court appearance October 8, 2007.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A note to S.B., B.C. and G.C.: You may have good reason to be worried.

Those are the initials authorities used to identify three clients of a high-priced prostitution ring that police say operated out of the SouthPark area and raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

An FBI informant who says she worked as a call girl for the ring told a TV station that her customers included doctors, lawyers, athletes and CEOs.

Investigators spotted "S.B." leaving a Charlotte hotel room, according to documents filed Nov. 1 in federal court.

"B.C." paid $10,000 for a woman to spend a weekend with him in Chicago.

And "G.C." settled up with a company check.

Federal authorities won't say whether they'll go after any customers. But the arrest of the suspected ringleader, and official word of videotapes and a clients' list, has clearly jangled some nerves.

Charlotte defense attorney George Laughrun told the Observer on Friday that five men called him last week. All of them asked about the investigation, the odds of the client list becoming public and whether charges might be filed against the men who paid for sex.

Other lawyers say they're getting similar calls.

The court documents say prostitutes traveled to Charlotte from Canada, Asia, Brazil, Atlanta and New York to meet customers at SouthPark hotels.

Federal authorities have charged Sallie Saxon, 57; her husband, Donald Saxon; and Taylorsville photographer Glenn Fox. Documents say Sallie Saxon ran the operation, though all three are accused of enticing women to cross state lines to engage in prostitution.

Federal prosecutors on Friday declined to say whether prostitutes and their clients will be charged and whether the clients' names will be disclosed as part of the court case.

In a statement, the prosecutors said they don't comment on pending cases.

That role has been taken on by the community.

"Two clients called me and asked if I knew who was on the list," Charlotte lawyer Bill Diehl said. "I don't have a clue. I'm not on it."

`Johns' typically not disclosed

"Johns" can be charged in state court with soliciting sex or with aiding and abetting prostitution, Laughrun said. They might also be charged federally with aiding and abetting the ring. He doubts that would happen, though. Prosecutors would have to prove the men knew the women had crossed state lines to break the law.

"I think people are worried about what's going to happen," Laughrun said. "They're worried about what would happen if the list comes out and what the reaction would be in their church, their work and in their homes.

"What's going to happen if their wife and children find out?"

Prosecutors in these types of cases don't typically reveal the names of 'johns'," said Ron Weitzer, a George Washington University professor who has researched prostitution.

The list itself isn't evidence of a crime by the men, he said.

But in some high-profile prostitution cases nationally, the "madams" have made the names public even though prosecutors haven't.

Jody "Babydol" Gibson was convicted eight years ago in California after being accused of running a Hollywood call-girl ring. Prosecutors brought her payment logs and phone lists in as evidence during her trial. But the names of more than 1,000 clients were initially blacked out in public court records.

Released in 2002, Gibson now says on her Web site that stars such as Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck used her service.

Deborah J. Palfrey, the so-called "D.C. Madam," was indicted earlier this year in connection with a high-priced prostitution ring. After she released a list of telephone numbers of callers to her service, U.S. Sen. David Vitter acknowledged in July that his number was among them.

The Louisiana Republican confessed to "a very serious sin" in his past, but said he'd been forgiven by his wife and by God. Palfrey recently asked for a subpoena to force Vitter to testify about his involvement with her service.

Companionship service

In June 2004, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police received a Crime Stoppers tip about Sallie Saxon and a Web-based escort service named www.hushhush.com from a former client, identified as S.Z., according to the court documents. (The records don't say if the initials come from actual names, but they have at times in other cases.)

S.Z. told police about www.hushhush.com. The court documents say he described it as an exclusive prostitution ring catering to affluent clients in Charlotte and Raleigh.

The Web site says the company offers "non-sexual companionship only" to men who are willing to pay an $1,800 membership fee.

"We are a companionship, introduction, (and) dating service only, not responsible for the personal choices between consenting adults 21 years and older," the Web site says.

Martha Shockey-Eckles, a professor at Saint Louis University who specializes in prostitution research, says such wording is common among sophisticated rings because it attempts to protect operators from prosecution.

The hushhush.com site offers short biographies of escorts like "Kelley," described as a Canadian-born registered nurse who loves sunsets and bookstores. "Georgia" describes herself as an aspiring surgeon who's fascinated with science, "particularly the science of the human body."

`Internet Development'

The prostitute who worked as an informant told authorities she saw her first client for a one-hour session in Charlotte in December 2005. Sex was exchanged for $400. She said almost all sessions were paid in cash. But she recalled one client, identified as G.C., who wrote a check from his business account. In the memo line of the check, the client wrote "Internet Development."

Federal authorities say they obtained a check from G.C.'s business in the amount of $3,500. "Internet Development" is noted in the memo section.

Court documents say the prostitutes also traveled with clients to other states. The informant said she spent a March weekend in Chicago with a client identified as B.C. He paid $10,000, the court documents say.

In 2006, a client identified as S.B. wanted what court documents described as a "double," two prostitutes at one time. The informant and another prostitute both had sex with the client, according to the documents.

S.B. paid each woman $400 for an hour session.

The informant told authorities that she would meet customers an average of twice a day, sometimes more. Some of the visits involved an overnight stay and cost the client between $3,500 and $4,000.

On Aug. 1 at about 2:30 p.m., authorities observed a known Saxon client, identified as "S.B," leaving Room 106 of the Residence Inn on J.A. Jones Drive in SouthPark, the documents say.

A prostitute, identified in court papers as H.G., left the room a short time later and went to the front desk to settle an outstanding bill.

"S.B. was followed into the parking lot and observed entering and driving off in a white Mercedes SUV," the documents say.

In court last week, a prosecutor said authorities have videotapes of clients with prostitutes in hotel lobbies and as they arrived and left hotels.

Shockey-Eckles, the Saint Louis University expert, said most customers of prostitutes are middle-aged white men, with careers and families. In business cities like Charlotte that have a major airport, many of them might be out-of-towners.

"If anyone is protected, it's more likely the johns," she said. "It could be their stature in the community, the money they have available or the defense team.

"Some of it, or perhaps quite a bit, goes back to who was really at fault -- those bastardly women," she said sarcastically.

William Terpening, Donald Saxon's lawyer, said he would be surprised if the client list is ever disclosed.

"That list is going to be a very interesting piece of information that will impact a lot of people's lives," he said. "It's not in anybody's interest for the names to be disclosed."

But Diehl said he'd be surprised if the names don't surface.

"I have a funny feeling this is all going to come out to the great embarrassment of all of the men on the list."

Suspects in the case

Sallie Saxon, 57, is being held without bond. A prosecutor said in court that they found $50,000 in a safe deposit box and that she poses a threat to the investigation because she knows the prostitutes and the clients. The prosecutor said the clients are vulnerable to blackmail.

Bond has been set at $100,000 for Donald Saxon, 52. He will be under house arrest and electronically monitored.

Glenn Fox , 58, is free on bond. He was paid about $32,000 last year for taking nude photos of prostitutes, according to court documents.