Canaan is a town of just under 4,000 residents, located in New Hampshire’s Grafton County near Lebanon. Prostitution and sex trafficking have been well documented in the area.

Local law enforcement has conducted operations aimed at curtailing demand for prostitution. For example, in April 2016, Canaan Police Department officers arrested three men following an investigation into web-based advertisements soliciting commercial sex acts. Each of the men was arrested after contacting an undercover officer and offering money in exchange for sex. According to the New Hampshire Union-Leader, the sting was conducted over a two-day period. A fourth sex buyer was arrested three days later using similar tactics, and was similarly charged with soliciting prostitution. All of the arrestees’ identities were publicized by news outlets following their arrests.