Jefferson County is a county of approximately 117,000 residents, located on the northern border of New York, with a county seat in Watertown. Some communities within the county that have worked to address demand for commercial sex include Calcium and Pamelia.

In December 2014, following reports of prostitution activity at a hotel along Route 342 in Calcium, New York State Police launched an undercover investigation on the premises that resulted in the arrests of five sex buyers and one prostituted woman. In their efforts, NYSP officers collaborated with the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office. Following the sting, all of the  arrestees’ names, ages, and mugshots were publicized by local media outlets.