Jurors in the federal racketeering and money laundering trial of accused D.C. madam Deborah Palfrey heard testimony from call girls and customers Tuesday.
In her opening statement, Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Connelly said more than a dozen women would be called to testify.
Prosecutors said Palfrey's employees provided sex for money from 1993 to 2006. Palfrey has maintained the escort business she operated from California was a legitimate erotic fantasy service, and she has said if her employees provided sex for money they did so without her knowledge.
"My understanding was I wouldn't be hired unless I was having sex with men," said call girl Sharon King.
King admitted signing a contract not to engage in illegal activity. She added, "[Palfrey] was very careful not to state blatantly words like 'sex.'"
Former call girl Donna Raphael testified that she had sex with clients about 90 percent of the time, but earlier, she told the grand jury that she had sex with clients only 5 percent of the time.
Two lawyers testified to being customers of the escort service. One said he had more than 50 appointments with the escort service and had sex almost every time, but he admitted he never directly discussed sex with Palfrey. The other said he made more than 100 appointments. The two appointments in which he did not have sex, he did not have to pay.
Defense attorney Preston Burton told jurors his client did nothing wrong, likening her job to that of a taxi dispatcher.
The defense witness list includes former deputy secretary of state Randall Tobias, who resigned after acknowledging to ABC News that he used Palfrey's service for massages. It also includes Louisiana Senator David Vitter, who has acknowledged being involved with the service.
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