POLK COUNTY, Fla. — The Polk County Sheriff's Office arrested 124 people during a 6-day undercover operation called Santa's Naughty List.
- 124 arrested during prostitution sting in Polk
- 30 of those arrested from Polk County
- Seven solicited or intended to have sex with kids
- More details on the case and those arrested
The operation aimed to identify and help victims of human trafficking who might be forced into prostitution.
Fifty three people were arrested for prostitution and 46 people were arrested for seeking the services of a prostitute, according to authorities. Eighteen people were arrested for various other charges such as aiding, transporting, and deriving proceeds from prostitution.
Detectives also said five people arrested intended to have sex with children and two others solicited sex from who they thought were children online.
Here are some other facts about the case the sheriff's office released:
- 30 of those arrested said they were married. One man said he was engaged.
- Those arrested were charged with a total of 78 felonies and 148 misdemeanors.
- Criminal histories from those arrested include 443 previous felonies and 571 previous misdemeanors.
- Seven of the arrested are from other states and one person is from Canada.
- 30 people arrested are from Polk County.
- 18 received government assistance.
- The oldest person arrested was 70-years-old, while four people tied for the youngest at 19-years-old.
- Detectives also seized cocaine, heroin, Xanax, meth, marijuana, and prescription drugs.
Detectives said seven women who came to the undercover operation location to commit prostitution may be victims of human trafficking. Two of those women were taken to shelters and introduced to anti-trafficking organizations for assistance and support.