Jones County, North Carolina is located near the juncture of Route 58 and U.S. 17.  It is sparsely populated, with just over 9,000 residents, and consists of small towns (such as Maysville, and Pollocksville) and unincorporated rural areas. Some prostitution and sex trafficking have occurred in the county and has generated complaints to police. For example, in 2013 enforcement and business owners reported a spike in prostitution activity in the area, particularly in local hotels.  In September 2013, deputies from the Jones County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Maysville, Pollocksville, and Jacksonville Police Departments, conducted a three-day sting named “Operation Room Service.” Although several key details of the operation were not disclosed to the public, members of the media reported that 11 men and women were apprehended after showing up at two locations– an undisclosed hotel in Maysville, and the Trent Motel in Pollocksville. While “most of [those] arrested were charged with solicitation, some other men were arrested when deputies say they showed up to pay for sex.” Whether or not the sting was initiated on the web or at street-level remains unclear. All arrestees’ names and mugshots were publicized in local media outlets. Three of the arrestees were sex buyers.