Sunnyside is a city of approximately 16,000 residents in Washington state, located in Yakima County, WA. While prostitution and sex trafficking are not significant issues in the city, instances of their occurrence have been documented. Among the more serious crimes associated with the city’s commercial sex market is child sex trafficking.

In efforts to reduce demand for commercial sex in the city, the Sunnyside Police Department has been known to arrest sex buyers. For example, in 2002, a five-month investigation resulted in the arrest of five men on drug and prostitution charges during a raid at a local residence. Two of the arrested offenders were arrested on charges of promoting prostitution. The investigation was initiated after police received calls from numerous concerned residents regarding suspected prostitution activity occurring at the residence. Police conducted surveillance on the home and discovered that its’ residents were promoting prostitution and dealing drugs within the home. After obtaining a search warrant, police executed a raid that resulted in the five arrests. At the time of reports, the investigation was ongoing and police stated that two other individuals were awaiting charges and six were awaiting interviews regarding their suspected participation in the illicit activity. The SPD released the identities of arrested offenders to local media outlets for publication.