Beaver Dam is a city in Dodge County with a population of about 17,000 located in central Wisconsin.  Prostitution and sex trafficking activity have been well-documented in the city and surrounding communities, and in unincorporated areas of Dodge County.  For example, in March 2018 a man was indicted with federal charges of human trafficking, the the defendant accused of torturing women and forcing them to engage in prostitution. In the criminal complaint, prosecutors allege the man operated out of two Dodge County strip clubs.  Such activity and localized prostitution, and the ancillary crimes they generate, result in complaints to law enforcement agencies from residents and businesses. Prompted by community complaints, the Beaver Dam Police Department started investigating claims of a prostitution ring in September 2014. The undercover investigation culminated with the dismantlement of a prostitution ring. After dismantling the ring, law enforcement was able to obtain sex buyer names, addresses, and occupations. To deter future sex buyers, the Beaver Dam Police Department released their names and cities of residence. In October 2014, media outlets reported that at least five sex buyers had pled guilty to the charge of “prostitution-sexual gratification,” and at least one was required to pay $1,713 in fines and court fees. While not a traditional reverse sting, the arrest of five sex buyers was the result of an undercover effort to arrest and punish sex buyers.

In June, 2021, a 46-year-old man was released on a $5,000 bond after making his initial appearance in court for multiple counts of soliciting a child for prostitution. The man was charged with felony counts of child enticement- prostitution and three counts of soliciting a child for prostitution, and was also charged with three misdemeanor charges of sexual intercourse with a child 16 or older. According to the criminal complaint, Beaver Dam Police were called to Marshfield Medical Center in January 2021 after a hospital worker reported a 17-year-old girl was being sex trafficked, paid by a man to perform sexual acts. The girl revealed that the man allegedly was paying her $300 each time he picked her up to rape her. The girl said she was sexually abused at a house in Beaver Dam seven to ten times over the year, and the man had contacted her over social media.  The man allegedly admitted giving the girl money between $500 and $1,000, and said he did not expect anything in return. However, when the officers showed him messages between the two, he allegedly admitted they had sex four to five times and he paid the girl $300 each time because that is all he could get out of the ATM machine.