Arnold is a small town of about 5,000 residents located in Westmoreland County in western Pennsylvania, just north of Pittsburgh.  Prostitution has been documented in the city back at least to the early 1960s. This activity and its ancillary crimes has resulted in complaints to local law enforcement from residents and businesses. Among the more serious issues associated with the local commercial sex market are child sex trafficking and violence against individuals engaging in commercial sex.

To combat consumer-level demand, Arnold police have conducted reverse sting operations. For example, in 2005, four male sex buyers were arrested in an investigation by state and local police after they attempted to solicit sex from an undercover state police officer in Arnold. Their identities were included in press releases. In 2010, a reverse sting operation resulted in the arrest of five male sex buyers and five prostituted women. The identities of all arrestees were reported in local news outlets.