Lancaster is a city in Dallas County, TX with a population of approximately 41,000 residents. Instances of prostitution and sex trafficking have recently been documented in the city. Among the more serious issues associated with the commercial sex market in the city is sex trafficking, often victimizing children. For example, in 2017, a Lancaster man was arrested and charged with trafficking of a child and compelling prostitution after a 15-year-old girl escaped the sex trafficker and went to police. According to reports, the sex trafficker was physically violent with the victim, beating her on multiple occasions, in addition to burning her body with a cigarette to brand her. The offender had taken sexually explicit photos of the victim and posted them on Backpage.com, a site known for prostitution ads. At the time of reports, police believed there to be more victims and the investigation was ongoing. The sex trafficker’s identity and photo were released by police to local media outlets. In 2018, three individuals (one man and two women) were arrested as a result of a sex trafficking and prostitution investigation conducted by the Dallas Police Department, the Fort Worth Police Department, the Lancaster Police Department, along with the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the FBI. According to reports, the investigation was initiated as a result of a citizen complaint in April of 2018. Police stated that the male offender was operating a sex trafficking organization in multiple Texas cities. A total of 20 women were rescued, received counseling, and victim centered services. The women were from states including Maine, Wyoming, and Montana. According to police, the offender was believed to be responsible for controlling and manipulating hundreds of women over the years. The sex trafficker and two additional suspects were booked into the Dallas County Jail, and each was charged with engaging in organized criminal activity and aggravated promotion of prostitution. In addition, the male sex trafficker was charged with compelling prostitution, money laundering and tampering with evidence, and was being held in lieu of $1.25 million bail. The offenders’ identities and photos were included in reports by local news sources.

Employment loss is also a consequence of buying sex in the city. For example, in 2017 a Lancaster High School teacher was arrested on charges of soliciting prostitution from a minor. The investigation began after a student disclosed to another staff member at the high school inappropriate text messages the former teacher sent to the student. In addition, two other students told police that the former teacher had offered to give them extra credit in exchange for sex acts. The former teacher, who had previously taught in the DeSoto and Duncanville school districts, allegedly showed the students a “wish list” of sex acts on his phone. The offender was immediately placed on leave after the student alerted campus administrators. A representative of Lancaster ISD declared the former teacher’s behavior to be intolerable. The district contacted Child Protective Services, the Texas Education Agency, and local law enforcement regarding the incident. It was later reported that as a result of the arrest, the former teacher had officially resigned.