Chandler is a city of about 280,000 residents in the greater Phoenix area. Prostitution activity has been well-documented within the county, and the problems and ancillary crimes it generates results in complaints to law enforcement agencies from residents and businesses. For example, in December 2013, a Maricopa County juvenile detention officer was arrested on charges related to running a residential house of prostitution in the city. Tipped by community complaints, an investigation found that patrons would enter the suspect’s apartment and exchange money for a massage and sex from women. The defendant would then receive $50.  For this he was charged with two counts each of illegal control of an enterprise, “receiving the earnings of a prostitute” and maintaining a house of prostitution.

Consumer level demand provides the revenue stream for all prostitution and sex trafficking, and has therefore been targeted by local law enforcement agencies as a strategy for prevention and response. For example, in 2003 the city was among several locations involved in a “countywide” reverse sting conducted by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. In June 2014, a sex buyer was arrested after he contacted an undercover Chandler Police detective posing as an underage girl. According to media reports, the CPD set up “fake internet profiles” for minor females. The man reportedly reached out to the “girls” and told them “he wanted to film pornography and that he needed the fictitious girl’s help and any underage girls she could bring” and offered to pay them a total of $4,000. When he arrived at a local parking lot to meet the girls, he was arrested by police. His identity was released to the public.

In a similar operation in 2016, a teacher was arrested for trying to pay for sexual abuse of a minor in an online reverse sting. The man was arrested and faced charges of prostitution with a minor, luring a minor for sexual exploitation and unlawful age misrepresentation.  The suspect had used a social media app to have a conversation with a person he believed was a 15-year-old female, and had stated he was 16 years old in his profile on the app. Police said he offered $40 in exchange for oral sex from the person posing as a 15-year-old female. The suspect was arrested when he arrived at the Chandler residence where he expected to find the girl, and police found the man was carrying $40 in cash. His photo and other information were released to news outlets.

In April, 2017, a Queen Creek man was arrested in Chandler for attempted paid sexual abuse of a child. Chandler police report that a man made contact with an undercover officer posing as a 12-year-old girl. During the conversations, the suspect discussed paying $400 for “three hours of sex” with the child, and  allegedly said, “He wanted to make this a ‘regular thing.” The man then allegedly went to a location arranged with the undercover officers, near Price Road and Chandler Boulevard, with $400 and three condoms where police met him as planned.

In November, 2021, 30 people were arrested in Operation “Deja Boo” that targeted sex buyers involved in child sex trafficking and those with the intent of luring minors for sexual exploitation. The Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, Chandler and Tempe police departments all participated, according to the Mesa Police Department.