Centralia is a city in Lewis County, WA with approximately 19,000 residents. It is situated along Interstate 5 near the midpoint between Seattle and Portland, OR. Instances of prostitution and sex trafficking have been documented in the city and in surrounding areas. These activities and their ancillary crimes have generated complaints to local law enforcement from residents and businesses. Among the more serious crimes associated with the area’s commercial sex market is the targeted homicide of prostituted women. For example, between 1984 and 1991, three Lewis County women were murdered; two of whom were prostituted women and one of whom was known to be transient. Lewis County authorities believe that these cases are connected to the Green River Killer since they occurred within the same time period and at similar locations. Additionally, the Lewis County women faced similar causes of death to that of the Green River Killer’s victims. The Green River Killer was arrested in 2001 in King County, WA for the murder of over 50 women, primarily those who were transient or engaged in prostitution. In 2003, the offender pleaded guilty to the murder of nearly 50 women and was sentenced to life in prison.

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 May 2010, a 54-year-old Centralia man was arrested on suspicion of patronizing prostitution during a web-based reverse sting operation. According to reports, this was the third arrest in 2010 related to the ongoing investigation into Craigslist.com, an online classifieds website known for prostitution and sex trafficking activity. The identities of arrested offenders were released by police.

In 2018, the Centralia Police Department participated in a web-based reverse sting focused on apprehending sex traffickers in the Centralia/Chehalis area. The operation was created in response to the shutdown of the known sex trafficking website, Backpage.com. According to reports, officers posted decoy ads online and communicated with individuals suspected of promoting prostitution in the area. They arranged to meet potential sex traffickers at a local truck stop along Interstate 5 in the Centralia and Chehalis Area. Upon their arrival to the predetermined location, the sex traffickers were arrested by undercover law enforcement officials. Within six hours, five men were arrested for suspicion of promoting prostitution and possession of methamphetamine.  Five female victims of sex trafficking were also identified. Although the identities of the arrested offenders were not immediately released, following the completion of the three-part investigation, police released the names and photos of the arrested sex traffickers.