POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd announced Thursday that his office arrested more suspects during an undercover human trafficking operation than ever before.
The undercover investigation, titled "Operation Traffic Stop," involved multiple agencies and lasted a week. Investigators arrested 213 suspects who allegedly "solicited prostitutes and those who offered to commit prostitution, and other suspects who profited from or aided & abetted prostitution."
Those arrested include a school board member from California, a man prostituting his girlfriend and a USF football player.
PCSO said that those who traveled to provide "prostitution services" were screened by both detectives and social services organizations, like Selah Freedom, One More Child and Heartland for Children, to determine if they were being trafficked or exploited. They were then provided services by those organizations.
“These services include advocacy, access to necessary resources, mentorship and specialized mental health counseling,” said Jodi Domangue, One More Child Executive Director of Anti-Trafficking.
Of the 111 sex workers arrested, 24 were identified as possible human trafficking victims. Fourteen of those victims were identified as migrants, 13 from Cuba and one from Mexico.
“How did they get here? What was told to us, that they were paying off their transportation debt. That they were being smuggled into the United States to have sex,” said Judd.
Sheriff Judd added that their families at home were being threatened if they didn't cross the border and "pay their debts" through prostitution.
Non-profit Selah Freedom is working with schools to educate children and adults on how to spot human trafficking.
“Work with school children on age-appropriate curriculum to bring awareness to this atrocity and hopefully help eradicate it by teaching these children the signs and what to look out for,” said Breanna Cole, Selah Freedom outreach advocate.
