A Columbia Falls woman accused of accepting money in exchange for sex and the Trego man accused of paying her for it have pleaded innocent to prostitution charges.

Sonya Dawn Pitkin, 22, also is charged with forgery for allegedly cashing a check stolen from the man, 57-year-old Thomas Leone.

Pitkin pleaded not guilty Thursday morning to felony forgery, a common scheme, and three counts of misdemeanor prostitution during her arraignment in Flathead County District Court.

Also Thursday, Leone pleaded not guilty to one count of misdemeanor prostitution and two counts of felony prostitution.

In Montana, the criminal statute for prostitution includes both the person offering and the person receiving sex in exchange for compensation.

Another woman, 21-year-old Amanda Lea Wyatt, pleaded not guilty Thursday to felony forgery, a common scheme, for allegedly cashing a second check stolen from Leone.

According to court records, Leone told police that Pitkin and Wyatt stole a number of blank checks from him in September after he and Pitkin exchanged money for sex in early 2009.

Pitkin and Wyatt each are accused of cashing separate $1,500 checks at a Whitefish bank on Sept. 3 and unsuccessfully attempting to cash separate $1,500 checks on Sept. 8.

During interviews with police, Leone admitted paying Pitkin for sex on three separate occasions, according to court papers.

Leone told investigators what hotels he and Pitkin had used, and detectives were able to obtain records that revealed either Leone or Pitkin had rented rooms at those hotels on Jan. 6, Jan. 21 and March 6.

Leone and Pitkin met each other on an adult Web site where people network to form relationships that are often sexual in nature, according to Deputy Flathead County Attorney Travis R. Ahner.

The relationship between Leone and Pitkin began when Leone paid Pitkin for sex - reportedly about $400 each time - but the pair later began meeting on occasions other than when sex was exchanged for money, Ahner said.

If convicted, Pitkin and Wyatt each face a maximum penalty of more than 20 years in prison.

Leone, if convicted, would face stiffer statutory penalties on the prostitution charge and could receive up to 11 years in prison.

Pitkin and Wyatt also are people of interest in connection with a significant number of counterfeit $50 bills circulating throughout the Flathead Valley in recent weeks, according to the Flathead County Sheriff's Office.

Reporter Nicholas Ledden can be reached at 758-4441 or by e-mail at nledden@dailyinterlake.com