Missouri City has a population of about 75,000 residents and is located within the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area of Texas. The city is mostly in Fort Bend County, with a small portion in Harris County. Prostitution and sex trafficking are well documented problems within the county, including in Missouri City. Sex trafficking has been such a substantial problem in the county that in 2013, county officials formed a human trafficking task force. Among the more serious crimes associated with the commercial sex market is child sex trafficking. In early 2016, a Fort Bend County jury sentenced a 45-year-old man to 40 years in prison following his conviction for human trafficking (he had coerced a woman into prostitution from which he profited). This was the first case of human trafficking prosecuted in the county. In October 2016, an Operation Cross Country enforcement action occurred in Fort Bend County. Led by the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office, the three-day operation attacked both the supply and demand of juvenile prostitution and child exploitation in the Greater Houston area, including Fort Bend County. In October 2018, the city offered a class on human trafficking designed for Law Enforcement Personnel, School Resource Officers, NGO – Service Providers, Victim Advocates, Medical Professionals, Faith-Based Organizations and anyone interested in learning more about this type of crime. The primary focus of the class was to provide an understanding of the origins, methods of operations, and indicators associated with the trafficking of human beings that create profits for traffickers, and to acquaint law enforcement personnel with the importance of a victim-centered approach to the investigation and rescue of victims and the importance of a collaborative effort between law enforcement, social service providers, and the criminal justice system to ensure a successful prosecution. In July 2019, a missing 17-year-old believed to be a victim of human trafficking was found. The Missouri City Police Department believed that she was being trafficked in the area, and was vulnerable because of repeatedly running away over the prior two years.