Bedford is a town of approximately 23,000 residents, located near Manchester in southern New Hampshire.  Prostitution and sex trafficking are known to occur in the area, and in some cases, are linked to regional and international sex trafficking operations.  Law enforcement agencies and others have targeted demand as a means of addressing the wide range of crimes and problems arising from the local commercial sex trade.  Manchester police began conducting reverse stings at least as early as 1991, and has conducted them occasionally since. Demand reduction tactics have been used in Bedford as well. For example, in August 2009, officers from the Bedford Police Department conducted a street-level reverse sting operation after finding postings on Craigslist suggesting possible meeting locations for individuals interested in buying sex. Police deployed an undercover female officer as a decoy in the Bedford Mall parking area. When a man solicited sex from her, he was quickly arrested. He was charged and released after posting $1,000 bail.  The man’s name and other identifying information were released to the local media.