Southeast is a town in Putnam County, New York with a population of approximately 18,000 residents. It includes the village of Brewster. Sex trafficking and prostitution have been well-documented in the area, including a scandal in which a Brewster police officer was charged with protecting a sex trafficking ring from law enforcement activity in exchange for sexually abusing the trafficked women at no cost. In an effort to identify and apprehend sex buyers, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office has conducted at least two reverse stings in Putnam. In January 2006, after the PCSO raided a Southeast massage parlor and confirmed commercial sex sales were occurring on the premises, officers confiscated the prostituted women’s cell phones. As sex buyers called the numbers, police continued to book appointments with the men. As they arrived, they were arrested by police and charged with solicitation.