Cocoa is a city on the east coast of Florida with a population of around 19,000. Prostitution activity has been well-documented in the city, surrounding communities, and other county areas. This activity and the problems and ancillary crimes it generates result in complaints to law enforcement agencies from residents and businesses. 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. The Cocoa Police Department has conducted several street-level reverse stings since 1991 using undercover women officers posing as prostituted persons in order to arrest sex buyers. The men arrested have had their names, ages, and hometowns reported in the media. For example, in March 2017, undercover police officers played the role of both providers and clients seeking commercial sex. The sting/reverse sting was part of a joint undercover operation involving Cocoa and Melbourne police and was focused in and around the area of Peachtree Street in Cocoa. The operation was one of many stings and investigations taking place on the Space Coast over the prior year, as agencies focused on various methods of diminishing the sex trade in Brevard County, from online ads to street-level stings and sex trafficking stings. In January 2020, nine male sex buyers were arrested in a Cocoa police special operation targeting portions of Peachtree Street between U.S. 1 and Fiske Boulevard.

In July 2021, two male sex buyers were arrested, and their identities included in press releases. Police say the targeted area was along Peachtree St., west of US-1, where residents had complained about increased prostitution and drug activity. As a result, agents with the Cocoa Police Special Investigations Unit and officers from Bravo Squad deployed to the area with an undercover officer. During the operation, the suspects approached the female on separate occasions and negotiated a deal for sexual acts in exchange for money. Each suspect was subsequently taken into custody for solicitation of prostitution. Another eight individuals initiated contact with the undercover officer but did not secure the deal and were not arrested.