WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — A week long, multi-agency human trafficking bust has resulted in the arrests of more than 200 people in Polk County.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office announced Thursday the undercover sting "Operation Traffic Stop 2" concluded with 219 arrests of suspects who solicited prostitutes and those who offered to commit prostitution.

Detectives from Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Auburndale police, Bartow police, Davenport police, Lakeland police, Lake Hamilton police, Lake Wales police, Winter Haven police and Zephyrhills police assisted in the investigation.


What You Need To Know

  • More than 200 arrested in "Operation Traffic Stop 2"

  • Polk Sheriff's Office: Undercover operation concluded with 219 arrests of suspects who solicited prostitutes and those who offered to commit prostitution

  • 21 victims of human trafficking were identified

Authorities said other suspects who profited from or aided in prostitution also were arrested. Among those arrested for soliciting a prostitute was a Polk County School athletic director and coach.

During this investigation, 21 victims of human trafficking were identified out of the 119 people arrested for prostitution, officials said. Two suspects so far have been charged with human trafficking, a life felony.

Detectives and social services organization screened those arrested to determined if they were being trafficked or exploited.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said there were 83 suspects arrested for soliciting a prostitute and traveling to the undercover location to negotiate having sex in exchange for money.

Also, 17 other suspects were arrested, and of those, five were either deriving proceeds from prostitution or aiding and abetting prostitutes. Authorities said eight drove the prostitutes to the undercover location.

“Not only did we arrest more suspects during this single operation than we have ever arrested before, we identified 21 human trafficking victims; during a similar operation in February, we identified 24 victims," Judd said. "That’s 45 victims we were able to identify this year. The valuable relationships that we have with the social services organizations who join us in these operations make it possible for these women to get help and be emancipated from this way of life.”