Broome County is a county of about 200,000 residents, located in south-central New York state. Binghamton is the county seat and largest city. Prostitution and the sex trafficking of teens have a documented presence the communities and unincorporated areas of Broome County. This activity and the problems and ancillary crimes it generates results in complaints to law enforcement agencies from residents and businesses.

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. In addition to city-level efforts to combat consumer-level demand for prostitution, the Broome County Sheriff’s Office’s Special Investigations Unit Task Force occasionally conducts countywide web-based reverse stings. For example, in July 2013, officers reported they had arrested three individuals (two sex buyers and one prostituted woman) during a “crackdown on internet prostitution” led by the Task Force in late June 2013. The names and hometowns of those arrested were reported to the news following the investigation.