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MISSOULA - The Missoula County Attorney's Office gas charged 11 people accused of being involved in a local Craigslist prostitution ring.

One of those clients, Neil Smith, appeared in Justice Court Friday afternoon and pleaded guilty to the prostitution charge against him.

The two accused ring leaders, Richard Carpita and Anthony Brazington, were arrested in September for posting prostitution ads on Craigslist. The 11 clients meanwhile are being charged with prostitution which is a high misdemeanor.

Prosecutors say Neil Smith of Missoula was identified by some of the girls as being a "regular" client. Smith confessed to responding to a Craigslist ad and to exchanging money for sex on several occasions last Spring. He said these encounters happened in his Missoula home.

Prosecutors claim that Carpita and Brazington, the two ring leaders in this case, had five girls between the ages of 16 and 19 working for them. The two alos allegedly split the money between themselves and the teens who met up with these "clients."

The other 10 clients in this case are local residents and most of them are expected to appear in court next week. Prosecutors say they have charged the clients that they could identify and prove that they participated in this prostitution ring.

This is the first prostitution offense for all of the clients involved in the case which is why misdemeanor charges have been filed. The crime becomes a felony after the first conviction.