The city of Pineville is located in Rapides Parish, situated about midway between Baton Rouge and Shreveport in central Louisiana. The city has a a population of about 15,000 residents. Prostitution and sex trafficking activity have been well-documented in the city of Pineville, and in the surrounding communities and unincorporated areas of Rapides Parish. This activity and the problems and ancillary crimes it generates result in complaints to law enforcement agencies from residents and businesses.

In May 2018, the Pineville Police Department arrested four subjects in connection with an armed robbery that stemmed from solicitation of prostitution. The preliminary investigation showed that  arrangements were made for two subjects to meet at a Pineville hotel for an exchange of sexual intercourse for narcotics. The sex buyer arrived at the hotel room, which was occupied by three individuals, where he was held at gunpoint and robbed. Contact was made with all four parties involved and they were arrested on the scene. The buyer was arrested for soliciting for prostitution, and his identity publicly disclosed.