Naugatuck is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut with a population of roughly 31,000. Prostitution activity has been well-documented in the city and surrounding communities. For example, in October, 2019, police arrested three women on prostitution charges after executing a search warrant at a New Haven Road massage parlor in Naugatuck, where patrons were allegedly paying for sex. Police charged a 52-year-old Hartford woman with permitting prostitution and second-degree promoting prostitution. Police also charged two Flushing, N.Y. women, aged 50 and 44, with prostitution and conspiracy to commit prostitution. Such activity and the problems and ancillary crimes it generates results in complaints to law enforcement agencies from residents and businesses.  Two years later, in April, 2021, police made two more prostitution arrests at the same massage business.

Consumer-level demand provides the revenue stream for all prostitution and sex trafficking, and has therefore been targeted by local law enforcement agencies in their strategy for prevention and response. The Naugatuck Police Department has conducted multiple web-based reverse stings. For example, in May, 2010, Naugatuck Police used Craigslist to make prostitution sex buyer arrests, and one of the men they caught was the director of the Derby Parking authority, whose name was publicized in news reports. Officers posted an ad on the well-known classified ad website and waited for people to respond. Those who responded with phone numbers were contacted and an undercover officer made arrangements to meet the suspects.  The undercover officer waited for the men to solicit a sexual act, then placed them under arrest, police said. Police charged 18 people with criminal attempt at patronizing prostitution. The craigslist posting was reviewed by the Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office to make sure there were no issues of entrapment.