Canandaigua is a city of approximately 10,000 residents located in upstate New York; it is the county seat of Ontario County. Prostitution is a well-documented problem in the city and generates complaints from residents and businesses. Among the tactics used to address the problem are those focused on combating demand.

In February 2018, six sex buyers were arrested in a prostitution sting in Canandaigua. Few details were released about the operation, but police acknowledge the arrestees offered to pay for sex. Investigators said three men offered a woman cash in exchange for sex on separate occasions. The other three approached the female police decoy as a group and offered her cash in exchange for group sex. They were issued appearance tickets and released to return later to Canandaigua Town Court. The identities of those arrested were publicly released by police.