Covington is a small city of just over 14,000 residents, situated 35 miles southeast of Atlanta in Newton County, Georgia, near Conyers. Prostitution, conducted both indoors and at street level, has been reported in the community in recent years and has generated complaints to law enforcement. In late May 2015, the Covington Police Department conducted a reverse sting that netted eight sex buyers in 24 hours. The sting was a joint operation between CPD officers and officers with the neighboring Conyers Police Department and was conducted at a Covington motel. Twelve additional buyers were arrested in a second sting in Conyers two days later. The identities of all sex buyers arrested in both operations were publicized in the press.

When asked about the impetus for the operation by the Covington News, law enforcement noted that its purpose was to both “identify and arrest individuals involved in the business of soliciting for sex,” and to “address violent crimes that can be associated with prostitution.” A Conyers police representative added:

“Not only are female prostitutes being targeted, assaulted and robbed… the johns intending on meeting for sex can be met with an armed man and robbed of their cash or worse.”