Green Cove Springs is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, Florida. Its population is roughly 10,000, and is located the central portion of the state, near Orlando. Prostitution activity has been well-documented in the city and in area of the Clay County. This activity and the problems and ancillary crimes it generates results in complaints to law enforcement agencies from residents and businesses. Among the more serious crimes associated with the local commercial sex market is sex trafficking.

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. Demand reduction tactics used in the town include the public disclosure of sex buyer identities and employment loss. In March, 2015, a Green Cove Springs officer was accused of having sex with a prostituted woman while on the job. He was initially under investigation for having an inappropriate relationship with a confidential informant. The woman filed a complaint in September 2014, two months after an Action News investigation showed the man was accused of “having an inappropriate relationship with a prostitute and abusing his police power.” The woman claims they had paid sex multiple times while he was on duty, including “on the hood of the patrol car.” The report said the officer also traveled from Green Cove Springs, to the Duval Detention Center to drop off a youth who had been arrested, but instead of driving back, drove to the woman’s workplace in Arlington.  He eventually resigned from the Green Cove Springs Police Department. His identity was included in news reports.