Fort Lauderdale, FL
Categories:
Tactics Used |
|
---|---|
Auto Seizure | ✓ |
Buyer Arrests | ✓ |
Cameras | ✓ |
Community Service | ✓ |
Employment Loss | ✓ |
Identity Disclosure | ✓ |
IT Based Tactics | ✓ |
John School | ✓ |
Letters | ✓ |
License Suspension | ✓ |
Neighborhood Action | ✓ |
Public Education | ✓ |
Reverse Stings | ✓ |
SOAP Orders | ✓ |
Web Stings | ✓ |
Fort Lauderdale is a city of approximately 182,000 residents, situated along Florida’s eastern coast in Broward County, FL. Like the neighboring communities of Dania Beach, Wilton Manors, Pompano Beach, Hollywood, Plantation, and Tamarac, the city has experienced longstanding and well-documented problems related to prostitution and sex trafficking – including cases of serial rapists and serial murderers who specifically targeted prostituted women.
To address the wide range of crimes and disorder that always accompany the sex trade, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department (FLPD) and others have employed several tactics targeting sex buyers, such as street-level reverse stings. FLPD officers have conducted street-level reverse stings since at least 1985. Although its investigations may vary in scope and duration, the FLPD’s Prostitution Enforcement Team (PET) often conducts large-scale operations, sometimes netting over 100 male sex buyers in a single sweep. For example, in 1995, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department participated in a county-wide prostitution operation that resulted in 576 prostitution-related arrests, 356 of which were made by the FLPD. According to reports, the operation targeted both prostituted people and sex buyers. Participating agencies included the Broward County Sheriff’s Office and the Pompano Beach Police Department. In October 2017, police announced the arrest of eight male sex buyers rounded up during a “high visibility enforcement operation to combat prostitution activities in the City of Fort Lauderdale.” The men’s identities were publicly disclosed. According to police reports, undercover officers were solicited for oral sex ranging from $20 to $50, in addition to sex for $24 to $50.
As the city has been linked to several high-profile child sex trafficking cases in recent years, local law enforcement has also deployed reverse sting tactics to intercept individuals attempting to purchase sex from a minor. In November of 2013, for example, officers with the FLPD’s Human Trafficking Division conducted a three-day reversal wherein a male officer posed as a decoy sex trafficker/pimp and a female officer posed as a prostituted minor female. The officers communicated with two male sex buyers via text message and arranged to meet the men at a local hotel. When the offenders arrived, they offered $75 to the “sex trafficker/pimp” in exchange for sex. Both men were arrested and charged with “procuring a minor under 18 years of age for prostitution and criminal attempt to solicit or conspire in a second-degree felony.” They had their names and arrest photos released to the public. In 2014, as the result of a month-long investigation, a 33-year-old man was arrested on charges including human trafficking of a juvenile, getting income from prostitution, renting space for prostitution, marijuana possession, and cocaine possession. According to reports, detectives responded to ads the sex trafficker posted on Backpage.com and conducted several undercover operations throughout the month of January. Police said the sex trafficker rented undercover detectives (some posing as 16-year-old prostituted girls and others as male sex buyers) a room for sexual exchanges to occur. The sex trafficker arranged negotiations with undercover officials, in which he would be paid for the room and receive a portion of the proceeds from the illegal sexual activity. Detectives also seized numerous items in addition to making the arrest, including a Nissan Murano, a Nissan Altima, approximately $12,000 in cash, roughly four pounds of marijuana, and close to 16 grams of cocaine.
In addition to conducting reverse sting operations, either online or street-level, various other demand reduction tactics have been deployed in the city. For example, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department also oversees a “John Doe” program, which educates convicted sex buyers about the kinds of diseases they are at risk of contracting from their involvement in prostitution. Since late 1995, the city has also imposed SOAP or ‘Stay Out of Areas of Prostitution’ orders on convicted sex buyers, barring them from reentering areas of the city known for prostitution activity. Cameras have also been used by Fort Lauderdale police. For example, in 2011, the arrest of eight male sex buyers was recorded by the FLPD and uploaded on their department website for residents to view. While it remains unclear whether or not Fort Lauderdale has a formal auto seizure penalty in place for sex buyers, a media report in 2011 stated that eight male sex buyers arrested during a local reverse sting had their cars impounded. The FLPD has also been known to send letters to the residences of men arrested for soliciting prostitution.
Identity disclosure and loss of employment are also consequences of buying sex in the city. For example, in 1991, the then-Fort Lauderdale Vice Mayor was named as having engaged in commercial sex with the wife of a former Broward County Sheriff’s deputy during an investigation into the couple’s alleged prostitution operation. The couple allegedly maintained documentation of the names and preferences of each male sex buyer through what became to be known as “The List.” Although The List initially remained sealed, as officials were concerned that its release would cause severe repercussions for the men whose names were on it – especially if men used aliases or false business cards, in November of 1991, the names of 20 men were released by a Broward County judge, and in 1993, the names of over 100 suspects were released. Of the initial 20 names released from The List, one alleged name quickly became public, the name of then – Fort Lauderdale Vice Mayor, who made his name chasing nude bars and sexually oriented businesses out of Fort Lauderdale. When allegations were publicized that his business card was in the Rolodex and that his name repeatedly appeared in the log, the former mayor resigned without notice “for personal reasons” as a result of his name being released on July 29th, 1991.
In August of 2007, during a prostitution investigation in the area, a prostituted woman reported to an undercover vice detective that she was coerced by a uniformed Fort Lauderdale police officer to perform sex acts in lieu of going to jail if she refused. A criminal investigation into the former officer immediately followed her allegations. In addition, the woman told police that two other prostituted women had been involved in similar situations with the officer. The woman could also pick the officer’s photo out of a lineup. According to reports, the former officer had been rejected for a position with the Broward County Sheriff’s Office after he admitted to using the services of a prostitute in the past and stealing from his then-current employer. He also failed a BSO polygraph test on Feb. 3, 2006. The polygraph examiner said Wright showed unexplained reactions when asked whether he had used illegal drugs. The FLPD hired the former officer despite his failed polygraph and known involvement with the commercial sex industry. In addition, according to personnel records, the former officer was counseled for leaving his assigned work area after he told the department that he had transported a female to the beach. The sex buyer claimed the woman needed a ride because she locked her keys in her car. Additionally, according to the affidavit, the former officer held one of the prostitutes at gunpoint, saying:
“[The former officer] told [the prostituted woman] that if she did not perform oral sex on him that he would arrest her. When she still hesitated, he removed his service weapon and pointed it at her head and said that he would kill her if she did not do it. [The prostituted woman] then performed oral sex on [the former officer].”
As a result of the investigation, the sex buyer was officially fired from the department on Sept. 21, 2007. He had only been with the Fort Lauderdale Police Department for a little more than a year. According to reports, the department’s reason for termination of employment was for failing to adequately perform his job duties — including failure to fill out police reports completely and accurately, lack of knowledge about the law, driving outside his assigned jurisdiction while on duty, and sleeping on the job. In 2010, the investigation was considered ongoing as additional charges were pending.
Officials have also been known to arrest sex buyers outside of prostitution sting operations. For example, in 1975, a Fort Lauderdale woman seeking a clerical position placed an advertisement in the classified section of a newspaper under positions wanted and was solicited for sex by male respondents. According to reports, none of the calls the woman received were for the clerical position she desired, but were for jobs in massage parlors or escort services. The woman’s mother reported this to local police, who advised the woman to refer the next caller to her ‘friend’ who would be better suited for the massage parlor or escort service job offer. An undercover female officer agreed to meet the next caller and arranged to meet the potential sex buyer at a lounge on the beach to exchange money for sexual services. Vice detectives arrested the potential sex buyer upon leaving the lounge for soliciting for the purpose of committing prostitution.
Key Partners
- Fort Lauderdale Police Department
- Human Trafficking Division
- Prostitution Enforcement Team (PET)
- Broward County Sheriff’s Office
- Pompano Beach Police Department
Key Sources
Brothel Raids with Sex Buyer Arrests, Identity Disclosure:
- 18 Vice Arrests at Massage Parlors (1974)
- Patrons Pay G-String Dancers; Six Arrested (1976)
- “Ft. Lauderdale Raid Nets 8 in Alleged Prostitution Operation”, Miami Herald, March 16 1996.
Sex Buyer Arrests:
Reverse Stings, Identity Disclosure:
- “107 Face Soliciting Charges in Sweep”, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, August 15 1985.
- “Prostitution Sting Arrests Former Mayor”, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, December 13 1985.
- “Former Fort Lauderdale Mayor Arrested for Soliciting Prostitution”, Lakeland Ledger, December 14 1985.
- “Prostitution Unit’s Best Tactic Is Humiliation”, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, December 22 1985.
- “Soliciting Charged Filed in War on Prostitution”, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, December 19 1986.
- “Police Sting Nets 60; Prostitution, Drugs Are Targets”, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, December 17 1988.
- “Prostitution Sting Nets Five”, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, February 26 1989.
- “27 Arrested in Prostitution Sting”, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, March 12 1989.
- “Men Held in Sex Sting”, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, April 23 1989.
- “37 Charged in Sting”, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, July 11 1989.
- “Arresting Attire; Undercover Cops in South Florida Must Learn to Dress and Act the Part”, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, August 9 1989.
- “Prostitution Sting Nets BCC Official”, Miami Herald, August 19 1989.
- “Police Arrest 16 in Reverse Sting”, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, November 8 1989.
- “576 Prostitution Arrests Made in One-Week Countywide Sting”, Miami Herald, August 1 1995.
- “Sex, Lies and 596 Arrests; Authorities Wrap Up Prostitution Crackdown”, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, August 1 1995.
- “Crime Unit’s Objective: Sweep Up the Streets; Lauderdale Police Chief Merges Forces to Tackle Recurring Problems”, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, October 30 2008.
- “Police Cracking Down on Revived Federal Highway Prostitution”, Miami Herald, August 10 2011.
- “Police Sting Cracks Down on Prostitution”, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, August 11 2011.
- “Two Men Accused of Seeking Sex with Underage Prostitute”, South Florida Sun Sentinel, November 5 2013.
- https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/Man-Charged-in-Broward-Prostitution-Sting-Deputies (2014)
- “Fort Lauderdale Police Hold Prostitution Sting at Taco Bell, Lauderdale BMW,” New Times Broward-Palm Beach, July 13 2015.
- http://www.bradenton.com/article (2017)
- http://www.miamiherald.com/article (2017)
SOAP Orders:
- “Lauderdale Wants SOAP to Clean Prostitution Zones”, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, November 8 1995.
- “SOAP Zones Really Just Tourism Service”, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, November 10 1995.
- “Lauderdale Ponders Hooker-Free Zones”, Miami Herald, November 12 1995.
- “Editorial: Prostitution Not the Worst Blight”, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, November 25 1995.
Sex Trafficking and Child Sexual Exploitation in the Area:
- “Police Looking for 2 Runaways with AIDS Virus”, Miami Herald, August 1 1987.
- “Police-Prostitute Sex Case Ends”, Beaver County Times, December 19 1993.
- “One Man in Prostitution Ring Arrested”, Ocala Star-Banner, April 26 1999.
- “Teen Prostitutes: Hidden Victims of Broward Sex Trade”, Miami Herald, July 9 1999.
- “Prostitution Ring Busted, Feds Say”, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, November 22 2008.
- “Six-Figure Bail Set in Prostitution Slave Case; Judge Dismisses Charges Against One of 3 at Hearing”, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, November 26 2008.
- “2 Convicted Child Sex Traffickers Sentenced to Federal Prison”, News Release, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Division of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), October 27 2009.
- “Attorney for Wronged Fort Lauderdale Pimp Asks for Same Deal Palm Beach Billionaire Received”, Palm Beach Post, August 19 2010.
- “COURTS: 3 Broward Men Plead Guilty in Underage Internet Sex Ring”, Miami Herald, August 25 2010.
- https://apnews.com/article/ (2011)
- “Fort Lauderdale Man Convicted of Sex Trafficking of Minors”, Press Release, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, October 30 2012.
- “Fort Lauderdale Man Sentenced to Life for Sex Trafficking Minors”, Press Release, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, January 9 2013.
- “Sex-Sting Update: Human Trafficking Suspects from Orlando Enslaved 15-Year-Old Prostitute, Officials Say”, Orlando Sentinel, July 10 2013.
- “Cops: Men Enslaved 15-Year-Old Prostitute”, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, July 14 2013.
- “Two Men Accused of Seeking Sex with Underage Prostitute”, South Florida Sun Sentinel, November 5 2013.
- “Oakland Park Man Arrested on Human Trafficking Charges”, Miami Herald, February 13 2014.
- “Fmr. Coach Arrested in Child Prostitution Case”, CBS/WFOR-TV 4, February 26 2014.
- “Prostitute Tells Jury How Pimp Allegedly Beat, Abducted Her,” South Florida Sun Sentinel, September 17 2014.
- “Man Accused of Pimping Underage Girls Online, on Streets”, South Florida Sun Sentinel, September 29 2014.
Background on Prostitution in the Area:
- “Dade Fireman Arrested; Broward Prostitution Ring Broken Up”, Sarasota Herald-Tribune, August 28 1975.
- “Man to Be Charged with Running 20-City Prostitution Ring”, Lakeland Ledger, June 12 1984.
- “Ex-Sheriff Defends Prosecution of Developer”, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, February 6 1985.
- “Man Accused of Bribing Police”, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, June 6 1985.
- “Prostitute Operation Targeted”, Miami Herald, January 12 1986.
- “Police Arrest Nightclub Owner”, South Florida Sun Sentinel, March 22 1986.
- “Police Offer Drug Treatment to Prostitutes”, Miami Herald, January 23 1991.
- “Prostitution Case Prompts Guilty Pleas”, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, June 23 1992.
- “Board Threatens to Shut Strip Bar if Prostitution Problem Persists”, South Florida Sun Sentinel, November 11 1992.
- “Police-Prostitute Sex Case Ends”, Beaver County Times, December 19 1993.
- “Backers Urge City to Keep Jail Open”, Miami Herald, August 11 1994.
- “Residents Want Lauderdale Motel Closed”, Miami Herald, April 23 1996.
- “Police Operation Nabs Hundreds; 6-Day Undercover Effort Focused on Drug Trade, Prostitution”, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, December 15 1996.
- “Prostitution Elusive Target; Police, Businesses Crack Down, But Activity Simply Shifts to Another Area”, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, October 31 1999.
- “Prostitutes Facing New Penalties; Repeat Arrests Now Lead to Felony Charge”, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, February 26 2003.
- “Prostitutes Offered an Alternative to Jail Time”, Miami Herald, March 16 2003.
- https://www.nbcmiami.com/woman-accused-of-running-prostitution-ring-from-massage-parlor (2022)
Documented Violence Against Individuals Engaged in Prostitution in the Area:
- “Man Not Linked to Murder Here”, St. Petersburg Independent, September 15 1979.
- “Prostitute Killed in Motel Apartment”, Miami Herald, July 16 1985.
- “Evans Charged in Death of Prostitute”, Prescott Courier, September 8 1991.
- “5th Broward Prostitute in a Year Found Dead”, Miami Herald, February 19 1998.
- “Man Arrested Again”, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, March 14 1998.
- “Reward Posted in Murder of Prostitute”, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, May 14 1998.
- “Arrest Made in Three Rapes”, Miami Herald, December 7 2006.
- “Two Years Later, No Arrest in Fort Lauderdale Murder”, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, December 16 2011.
Sex Buyer Fired or Resigned Due to Arrest:
- https://demand-forum.org/The_Tampa_Tribune.jpg (1991)
- https://www.chicagotribune.com/ (1991)
- https://demand-forum.org/South_Florida_Sun_Sentinel (1991)
- https://demand-forum.org/South_Florida_Sun_Sentinel (1991)
- https://demand-forum.org/South_Florida_Sun_Sentinel (1991)
- https://demand-forum.org/South_Florida_Sun_Sentinel (1993)
- http://www.sfltimes.com/police-former-cop-picked-up-prostitutes-while-on-duty (2009)
- https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm (2009)
State | Florida |
Type | City |
Population | 182760 |
Location |
Comments are closed.