Monmouth County is the northernmost county within New Jersey, and has a population of approximately 645,000.  It is located across the harbor south of lower Manhattan (NYC) and near New Brunswick and Middletown, NJ. Cases of prostitution and sex trafficking have been documented in the cities (such as Hazlet, Asbury Park, Wall Township) unincorporated areas of the county, generating complaints from citizens and local businesses, and associated with a wide range of other crimes.

Among the tactics used to address these problems are those that focus on consumer level demand. For example, a Hazlet police started investigating of a Spa in January of 2018 occurred after they received numerous reports of “illegal acts” at that location. Hazlet police visited the spa multiple times during the months of January and February. On February 16, a 66-year-old-man from East Brunswick was arrested and charged with engaging in prostitution. On Feb. 27, two more men were arrested at the spa: A 26-year-old-man from Old Bridge and a 46-year-old-man from Keyport were both charged with engaging in prostitution. Police did not immediately release any of the names of those arrested, but they were eventually publicly disclosed. A member of the East Brunswick Board of Education resigned after revelations he was one of the men charged with patronizing a prostitute in Hazlet. He pleaded guilty to a disorderly conduct offense, and paid a $1,000 fine. Several substantial reverse stings have been conducted in Asbury Park, resulting in the arrest of 12 – 16 sex buyers each. The identities of the men arrested have been routinely publicized.  In Wall Township the Police Department and New Jersey State Police have conducted web-based reverse stings to arrest sex buyers. An operation occurred in 2014 was staged at an unnamed hotel along Route 35. Fifteen men, including one twice-convicted sex offender, were arrested as a result. All had their names and arrest photos released to the public. Following the sting, the Wall Township Police Department released a statement stating that it “will continue to conduct quality-of-life checks within the area and make it more difficult for those who engage in criminal activity to operate out of any [local] motels.”