POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A human trafficking operation in Polk County netted 230 arrests on charges related to prostitution, the Florida attorney general announced Friday alongside Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
Judd said another 16 suspects were charged with traveling to an undercover location to have sex with people they thought were children or soliciting children online.
Recommended Videos
According to AG James Uthmeier, 12 possible survivors of human trafficking were identified during the operation and were immediately offered support.
“Human traffickers are vile predators who exploit the vulnerable,” Uthmeier said, pointing out that among the 230 people arrested, 46 had entered the country illegally. “Here in Florida, we will not give these traffickers the opportunity to destroy more lives.”
The investigation involved a seven-day sting operation, beginning Sept. 8, in which law enforcement used social media and escort-hiring platforms to make contact with the defendants.
“The online prostitution industry enables and empowers human traffickers, allowing them to profit off the people they exploit,” Judd said. “Our goal is to identify victims, offer them help, and arrest those who are fueling the exploitation of human beings (Johns) and those profiting from the exploitation of human beings.”
Detectives charged a total of 89 felonies and 282 misdemeanors (371 total charges) during the investigation, and most of the suspects were repeat offenders. Their prior criminal histories included a combined total of 317 felonies and 389 misdemeanors (706 total charges).
The suspects will be charged as follows:
- 111 with felony traveling to commit prostitution
- 20 with felony aiding/abetting, transporting, or deriving proceeds from prostitutes
- 99 with misdemeanor soliciting prostitution
“Prostitution is not a victimless crime,” Judd said. “It results in human exploitation, misery, disease, dysfunction, drug and alcohol addiction, violence, and broken families.”
The Sheriff’s Office included these notes from the operation:
- 182 suspects are from outside Polk County, including visiting from 11 different states/Puerto Rico
- 5 said they were receiving government assistance
- 26 said they were married
- The youngest suspect is 18; the oldest is 67 years old.
- 15 firearms were brought to the location by different suspects; one was stolen
- 32 people were charged with possession of narcotics
The operation, dubbed Fool Around and Find Out Again, was a joint effort led by the Polk County Sheriff’s office in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Division, the Florida Department of Financial Services, Auburndale Police Department, Bartow PD, Davenport PD, Haines City PD, Lake Wales PD, Winter Haven PD, Zephyrhills PD, Highlands County Sheriff’s Office, State Attorney for the Tenth Judicial Circuit Brian Haas, and Uthmeier’s Office of Statewide Prosecution.
At the same time, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office conducted a joint-agency investigation focusing on those who prey upon and travel to meet and sexually batter and rape children from Sept 8-14, during which 15 men were arrested for multiple felonies.
The suspects communicated with and solicited who they thought were children or guardians of children online, investigators said.
According to Judd, 14 suspects showed up at an undercover location in Polk County at separate times to sexually batter children. Three of the 14 suspects were charged with human trafficking for offering to pay an adult to have sex with their child.
“It is extremely disturbing when we encounter nasty child predators like these who are very eager to have sex with children,” Judd said. “This is why we conduct these types of undercover operations. Keeping children safe is our number one priority, and we appreciate our partnering agencies, without whom we would not be as successful in apprehending these dangerous offenders.”