Most arrests of sex buyers are the result of sting operations using fictional online ads or undercover police posing as prostituted persons. But in more than 925 U.S. cities and counties, sex buyers have been arrested as the result of investigations or enforcement actions in response to offenses against real victims. Types of scenarios in which sex buyers have been arrested without staging reverse stings include:
- Brothel raids
- Prostitution and sex trafficking investigations
- Investigations of other offenses (e.g., domestic violence, robbery, child endangerment, homicide)
- Traffic stops
- Police or witness observations of suspicious activity or lewd conduct
Tracking the arrests of sex buyers accomplished through means other than sting operations is a recent development at Demand Forum. The number of communities in which sex buyers have been arrested by means other than sting operations is certainly far greater than what we have documented so far. As we continue to learn of additional communities that have made such arrests, this website will be updated periodically to reflect recent findings.
To learn more about this intervention and how it has been implemented, please see our Tactic Summary document (March, 2023). You may also locate where in the United States that this tactic has been used by visiting Demand Forum’s mapping or listing functions, and selecting from the list of tactics. By clicking on each of the cities and counties listed or mapped, you may access brief summaries of the implementation of each tactic in that community, and links to source documentation.
