Pflugerville is a city of approximately 67,000 residents in central Texas, located in Travis County, TX, with a small portion in Williamson County, TX. Pflugerville is a suburb of Austin and part of the Austin–Round Rock–San Marcos Metropolitan Statistical Area. Prostitution and sex trafficking have been well-documented in the city and greater county area. This activity and its ancillary crimes has resulted in reports to local law enforcement from residents and businesses. The city has also faced issues regarding illicit massage businesses (IMBs) serving as fronts for prostitution. For example, in 2017, the Pflugerville Police Department conducted an investigation into a local IMB that resulted in the arrest of three women on prostitution charges. Among the more serious issues associated with the local commercial sex market are child sex trafficking and child sex abuse material (CSAM).

Efforts to combat prostitution and related crimes in the area have included tactics focused on reducing demand for commercial sex by targeting sex buyers and sex traffickers. For example, in the fall of 2017, the Travis County Sheriff’s Office focused on the unincorporated areas of Wells Branch with operations targeting credit card skimmers, illicit businesses, and prostitution. The initiative started on October 8, 2017 and ran through November 17, 2017, during which police arrested nearly 50 individuals, 17 of which were the result of web-based reverse sting operations targeting male sex buyers at two local hotels. The stings were part of the “Wells Branch Initiative,” a six-week program aimed at knocking out criminal hot spots in Northern Travis County and Pflugerville. According to reports, deputies posted decoy ads on websites known for prostitution and sex trafficking and communicated with suspected sex buyers online. Upon their arrival to the predetermined location, sex buyers were arrested by deputies from the TCSO. During the operations, officers used audio and video surveillance to document arrests as evidence in court. Three of the arrests were from cases resulting in felony charges, where the men had allegedly attempted to solicit sex from who they believed were minors. Their identities and images were included in reports by local media outlets. The operation was led by the Travis County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Austin Police Department, the Pflugerville Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Bell County Sheriff’s Office.

In February, 2023, the Pflugerville Police Department announced it was searching for a man wanted on multiple charges, including sexual assault of a child, prostitution/payor person under 18, and possession of “child pornography” (child sexual abuse materials). According to police, the man’s last known residence was in Pflugerville.