Davidson County is a county of approximately 167,000, in North Carolina. Itts county seat is the city of Lexington, and its largest city is Thomasville. Another noteworthy city within the county is High Point, where High Point University is located. Prostitution and sex trafficking have been well-documented in the county, including instances relating to gambling, illegal drugs, and child sex trafficking and online exploitation.

In 2002, a Lexington police officer was charged with running a prostitution ring, during which he used his patrol car to meet and interview women and to arrange dates, according to the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office. The officer was arrested on charges of aiding and abetting prostitution following an eight-month investigation by the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office and the State Bureau of Investigation. He resigned the day of the arrest.

Unfortunately, much of the work to combat prostitution in the county has been focused on arresting sex sellers. For example, in January 2013, three women were arrested on suspicion of soliciting sex from an undercover vice narcotics detective in exchange for money. According to local news, all three solicited an undercover detective in exchange for money ranging from $150 – $200 an hour, Davidson County deputies said.

In August 2018, a man was arrested and placed in the Davidson County Jail under $5 million secured bond in response to an investigation of allegations that a 13-year-old girl was given illegal drugs and driven, at different times, to a location to have sex with the suspect. The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office investigated and obtained warrants for for statutory rape, statutory sex offense, human trafficking, indecent liberties with a child, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

In November 2021, High Point Police shut down 34 sweepstakes parlors, after deputies said they discovered through tips and undercover work that businesses were giving out cash for wins and rigging the games, and the businesses were likewise intertwined with illegal activity in the county relating to drugs and prostitution.

In February 2022, an undercover sting led to the arrest of three people. One woman was arrested not only for prostitution but also because officers said she was a convicted felon out of Utah and had a gun on her, according to local news reports. Another woman was charged with aggravated prostitution, and during her arrest, detectives found heroin in her clothes. Additionally, a man was arrested and charged with trafficking for a commercial sex act after police said he admitted to driving prostituted women to deals on several occasions.

Recently, officers have conducted reverse stings that have resulted in the arrests of both sex buyers and sex sellers. In July 2022, multiple people were arrested and charged in an undercover prostitution sting, on charges of prostitution and solicitation of prostitution, in addition to resisting a public officer and reckless driving to endanger the public. According to High Point Police Department, they conducted the undercover operation after residents and businesses in the area voiced concerns.