Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that 230 people are expected to face charges following a week-long prostitution sting operation in Central Florida.
According to a Friday press release from the attorney general’s office, law enforcement discovered at least 12 possible human trafficking victims during the investigation and immediately offered them support.
“Human traffickers are vile predators who exploit the vulnerable, and once again, a disproportionate number of those arrested in this sting were illegal aliens,” Uthmeier said. “Here in Florida, we will not give these traffickers the opportunity to destroy more lives.”
The sting operation was a joint effort led by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in collaboration with more than a dozen local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The investigation involved a seven-day sting operation in which law enforcement used social media and escort-hiring platforms to make contact with the suspects. According to the attorney general’s office, the vast majority of the suspects were repeat offenders, with a combined total of 296 felonies and 348 misdemeanors in prior criminal histories.
The attorney general’s office also said at least 46 of the suspects were undocumented migrants from various countries, including Venezuela, Peru, Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Cuba, Brazil, Colombia and the Bahamas, and five of whom reportedly currently receive financial assistance from the U.S. government.
“The online prostitution industry enables and empowers human traffickers, allowing them to profit off the people they exploit,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. “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. Prostitution is not a victimless crime — it results in human exploitation, misery, disease, dysfunction, drug and alcohol addiction, violence and broken families.”
According to the attorney general’s office, out of the 230 suspects:
- 111 will be charged with traveling to commit prostitution
- 20 will be charged with aiding/abetting, transporting or deriving proceeds from prostitution
- 99 with soliciting prostitution
The attorney general’s office said the cases will be prosecuted by the Office of Statewide Prosecution and the State Attorney for the Tenth Judicial Circuit Brian Haas.
