POLK COUNTY, Fla. — The Polk County Sheriff's Office said it has arrested 228 suspects during an eight-day-long undercover human trafficking operation.
PCSO said they screened people who traveled to provide prostitution services to identify possible human trafficking victims. Of the 66 prostitutes who were arrested during the investigation, 13 were identified as possible human trafficking victims.
Authorities said 150 suspects were arrested for allegedly soliciting a prostitute and traveling to undercover locations to negotiate having sex in exchange for money. Eight other suspects were arrested for allegedly transporting prostitutes or deriving proceeds from prostitution.
According to PCSO, detectives charged suspects with a total of 70 felonies and 288 misdemeanors during the investigation.
Stacie Ham joined Polk County law enforcement officers during the human trafficking operation that led to the arrest of a record 228 suspects. The oldest person arrested is 73 years old, while the youngest is 16 years old.
Ham said she was first sexually exploited at just two years old by her mother's boyfriend.
"I actually didn't know I was trafficked until my late 20s. Until I actually received human trafficking education," Ham said.
Ham now works with One More Child as a lived experience expert. One More Child is based in Lakeland and works to help vulnerable children and struggling families.
"They have been victimized in some way in their history, or they just feel like they don’t have any other options," said Jodi Domangue, Executive Director of Anti-Trafficking for One More Child. "We let them know that we have resources and teams that can wrap around them and help them find meaningful employment."
Victims will be offered services for years to come to help them heal from the traumatic lifestyle.
"As a survivor and someone that didn't recognize that I was a survivor, it took the appropriated human trafficking training to recognize what it looks like. I feel like that is why we're missing so many victims out there," Ham said.
