Seffner is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida. It is part of the Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area, and the town has a population of about 8,300.  Hillsborough County is a county of more than 1.3 million residents, and is located on the west coast of Florida. Prostitution and child sex trafficking have been well-documented throughout the county for decades. Associated problems include cases of child endangerment, such as leaving infants unattended in order to engage in prostitution.

Local law enforcement agencies have incorporated strategies to apprehend and deter sex buyers. These tactics include web-based stings, reverse stings, auto seizure, and the creation of a “john school” in Hillsboro County that could accept arrested sex buyers from anywhere in the county.  In June of 2019, a large scale, month-long prostitution sting operation throughout the county produced the arrest of 85 individuals. The undercover investigation started Jan. 1 and was called “Operation Trade Secrets.” The sting focused on hotels, motels, spas, massage parlors, strip clubs, adult bookstores and sex trade activities in Hillsborough County.  The Sheriff’s Office targeted sex buyer, with undercover deputies soliciting for sex. However, about half of the people arrested were women on charges of offering to commit prostitution.  The photos and other identifying information for the arrested individuals were included in news releases.  People were arrested in the communities of Brandon, Gibsonton, Ruskin, Seffner and Tampa. Some faced additional charges unrelated to human trafficking or prostitution, including possession of a controlled substance, lewd and lascivious behavior, possession of child pornography, practicing massage without a license, and child neglect.