Marion is a small city of just under 8,000 residents, located in McDowell County, North Carolina, near Asheville. Prostitution activity has been well-documented within the city, and the problems and ancillary crimes it generates result in complaints to law enforcement agencies. 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. Local law enforcement has initiated investigations targeting buyers of commercial sex. In January 2014, the McDowell News reported the arrest of a male sex buyer following a sting by the Marion Police Department. The individual was intercepted after he allegedly solicited an undercover officer and “confidential source” at a local motel. Prior to arriving at the location, the sex buyer had reportedly been in communication with the confidential source and had offered him money in exchange for sex acts. The arrestee’s name and mugshot were publicized in the press.