Sheriff Grady Judd, of Polk county, Fla., speaks during a state commission meeting as they investigate the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre and how Broward school district and others access threats, on Tuesday, July 10, 2018, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
SRDTF News
UPDATED 3:38 PM PT – Thursday, October 28, 2021
More than 100 suspects have been arrested in a Florida human trafficking sting.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday, 102 suspects were arrested following a six-day long undercover investigation. The operation, dubbed “No Tricks No Treats,” targeted child predators, prostitutes and those who solicit them.
Thirty-eight people were reportedly arrested for prostitution and 62 others were accused of soliciting prostitutes. Authorities said they were able to rescue a 17-year-old girl and two women in their twenties who are believed to be victims of human trafficking.
Sheriff Grady Judd & partners are discussing a 6-day long undercover investigation focused on human trafficking. We are live on FB @polkcountysheriff & YouTube @polksheriff.
Read the release: https://t.co/tMKuAuMj8N pic.twitter.com/K37jPdlhpR— Polk County Sheriff 🚔 (@PolkCoSheriff) October 28, 2021
“They’re young girls, but they’re being taken advantage of by these pimps. Ladies and gentlemen, what’s scary about this is we suspect many more of these young ladies are also victims of human trafficking, but they would not work with us, they would not admit they were victims of human trafficking,” said Sheriff Grady Judd. “So, as a result, we weren’t able to even get to the first step with them. These three, we celebrate, because we were able to get to the first step.”
Detectives have reportedly charged those arrested with a total of 29 felonies and 143 misdemeanors.