ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Two aging professors accused of running a sophisticated prostitution website appeared to have one goal: Police say they wanted to create a place where respected men like themselves could go for sex without having to worry about getting caught up in street stings.

“They have a lot to lose, and they tried to build an organization to protect themselves,” Albuquerque police Lt. William Roseman said.

The website, based in the Albuquerque-Santa Fe area, featured “weather reports” about police vice stings; physical descriptions and cell phone numbers of undercover police to help members avoid arrest; training videos on what to do if members were busted; and detailed information on the prostitutes themselves, including prices and star performance rankings from other members.

Southwest Companions, with 1,400 members, was invitation-only, and new members were vetted as they worked their way up through three tiers. The first level was “probation,” Roseman said, where the new clients secured prostitutes through the site.

After they hooked up, the prostitute would tell a moderator what she did and how much she was paid. As the members progressed through the “verified” and “trusted” tiers, they gained access to more information about undercover officers and the hookers.

The hookers were paid in cash, with prices ranging from $200 for a single act to as much as $1,000 for an hour of time.

David C. Flory, a physics professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, is suspected of buying the site in 2009. The site was created by a woman named Cara Garrett. Investigators say Garrett was still involved in the ring when she tipped police to its existence in December after being arrested on drug, child abuse and prostitution charges.

Flory, 68, who lives in New Jersey but has a home in Santa Fe, told police bought the site to create a safe place for people to buy and sell sex, referring to it as a hobby, Roseman said.

Flory, who used the handle “David 8,” ran the site and was the main moderator, police said. He bonded out of jail Wednesday and is facing 40 charges of promoting prostitution.

Among the site’s top echelon was former University of New Mexico President F. Chris Garcia, who used the handle “Burque Pops” while acting as a moderator, police said.

But his main job, police said, was to act as a leader of the site’s “Hunt Club,” which looked for new talent — prostitutes willing to come to New Mexico. Police identified at least 20 females recruited by “Burque Pops,” who faces charges of promoting prostitution, conspiracy and tampering with evidence. He made his first appearance Friday.