Tampa, FL
Categories:
Tactics Used |
|
---|---|
Reverse stings | ✓ |
Shaming | ✓ |
Auto seizure | ✓ |
Community service | ✓ |
Public education | ✓ |
Neighborhood action | ✓ |
SOAP orders | ✓ |
John school | ✓ |
Letters | ✓ |
Cameras | ✓ |
Web stings | ✓ |
License suspension | ✓ |
Tampa is known to have substantial activity in sex trafficking and prostitution, and cases of prostitution-related homicide. The city and its partners from the county and neighboring communities have pursued a wide range of strategies focusing on the demand for commercial sex as a means of combating prostitution and sex trafficking, including both street-level and web-based reverse stings, a john school, SOAP orders, shaming, vehicle seizures, neighborhood based efforts, and public education.
Tampa has arrested johns with enough regularity to supply a john school program with participants in the early to mid 2000s, but by about the end of 2008 the police department turned their attention to other priorities, and rarely conducted reverse stings. While not disbanded, there were insufficient numbers of johns arrested, and few referrals to the john school. Reverse stings appear to have been conducted at least one per year between 2010 and 2014. Since about 2017-2018, the frequency appears to have increased, and some recent operations have been large-scale. For example, between December 7, 2020 and January 9, 2021, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office conducted “Operation Interception,” a set of investigations and stings intended to deter sex trafficking leading up to the 2021 Super Bowl in Tampa. On January 11, 2021 the Sheriff’s Office announced the arrests of 71 individual sex buyers during the undercover operation.
Exclusion Zones (SOAP Orders)
In February 2012, Tampa established an exclusion zone that applies to johns as well as those providing commercial sex. The Prostitution Enforcement Zone covers the area from Fowler Avenue to the north, Seventh Avenue to the south, North 15th Street to the east and Florida Avenue to the west. The zone applies to people who have been charged for the third time (or more) with a prostitution offense. Upon a third arrest, the misdemeanor prostitution charge can be upgraded to a felony and the State Attorney’s Office can ask judges to put offenders on probation and ban them from the area. Exceptions would be limited to activities like visiting a doctor or buying groceries.
Key Partners
- Tampa Police Department
- Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office
- Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
- Tampa Crossroads
- Johns Awareness Diversion and Education (J.A.D.E.) Program
- Southeast Seminole Heights Civic Association
- Hillsborough County Prostitution Task Force
Key Sources
- John School:
- “‘John School’ Attacks Prostitution Demand Side”, WUSF Radio, June 26 2001.
- “Project HOPE Helped Break the Cycle of Prostitution and Solicitation, But Had Implementation Problems”, Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA), August 2004.
- Reverse Stings:
- “Police Dispute Female Decoy’s Claim to $2,500”, St. Petersburg Times, May 28 1977.
- “TV Anchorman Smith Accused of Soliciting for Prostitution”, The Evening Independent, September 10 1982.
- “Bucs’ Reese Arrested on Prostitution Charge”, Tuscaloosa News, June 1 1984.
- “16 People Charged in Prostitution Sting”, St. Petersburg Times, May 20 1989.
- “8 Arrested in Prostitution Sting”, St. Petersburg Times, August 11 1989.
- “Charge Dropped Against Priest”, Sarasota Herald-Tribune, January 8 1992.
- “‘Prostitute’ Was a Cop and So Was ‘John’, Police Say”, St. Petersburg Times, November 8 1997.
- “Review Sought of Case Pressed Against Officer”, St. Petersburg Times, June 2 1999.
- “Officers Wired for Safety, Accuracy”, St. Petersburg Times, June 4 1999.
- “Police Working to Stop Lewd Acts; Series- Tampa Uncuffed”, St. Petersburg Times, July 22 1999.
- “Police Arrest 11 Men in Prostitution Sting”, St. Petersburg Times, April 27 2004.
- “Armed Robber of Five Stores Caught on Tape”, St. Petersburg Times, December 12 2007.
- “Lawyer Arrested in Tampa Prostitution Sting”, Tampa Bay Times, September 30 2008.
- “5 Men Arrested in Nebraska Avenue Prostitution Sting”, Tampa Bay Online, October 5 2008.
- “Army Officer Arrested in Tampa Prostitution Sting”, Tampa Bay Online, October 9 2008.
- “Prostitution Crackdown in Seminole Heights”, CBS/WTSP-TV 10, October 11 2008.
- “Prostitution Sting in Southeast Seminole Heights Nabs 17”, Tampa Bay Times, November 17 2008.
- “Tampa Police Targeting Prostitution During Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa”, Tampa Bay Times, January 27 2009.
- “Tampa Police: 5 Arrested in Prostitution Sting”, Tampa Bay Online, May 10 2009.
- “Spoto High Coach Suspended After Prostitution Solicitation Arrest”, Tampa Bay Times, July 16 2009.
- “Tampa Prostitution Sting Nets 8 Arrests at Nebraska Avenue Motel”, Tampa Bay Times, July 22 2009.
- “Tampa Police Arrest Five in Valentine’s Day Prostitution Sting”, Tampa Bay Times, February 15 2010.
- “Tampa Police Arrest Seven on Soliciting Prostitution”, Tampa Bay Times, March 20 2010.
- “Detectives Set Up Tampa Prostitution Sting”, CBS/WTSP-TV 10, March 12 2011.
- “Police: Florida Woman Tried Her Father a Prostitute for Easter”, Fox News, April 26 2011.
- “Tampa Police Arrest 25 in Prostitution Crackdown Near Nebraska Avenue”, Tampa Bay Times, February 18 2012.
- Auto Seizure:
- “Anti-Prostitution Plan Includes Car Seizures”, St. Petersburg Times, March 7 1997.
- “Police Seize Cars to Ebb Crime”, The News Press (Fort Myers), July 4 1999.
- “New Weapon Fights Sex Trade”, Daytona Beach News-Journal, September 28 2003.
- “Drivers Caught Soliciting Prostitutes Will Pay $500”, South Tampa Patch, December 15 2011.
- Neighborhood Action:
- “Residents Hit Streets to Banish Hookers”, Tampa Bay Online, November 16 2000.
- “Police Back Residents’ Patrol Plan”, Tampa Bay Online, December 15 2000.
- “Takin’ It to the Streets”, Tampa Bay Online, January 14 2001.
- “Activists Ask City to Target Nebraska”, Tampa Bay Online, March 22 2001.
- “Nebraska Avenue Park Gets Facelift”, Tampa Bay Online, May 12 2001.
- “Community Effort Having a Positive Impact”, Tampa Bay Online, June 3 2001.
- “Prostitution Defies Community Vigils, Police Action”, St. Petersburg Times, January 7 2002.
- “Neighbors Noticing More Prostitutes”, Tampa Bay Times, September 24 2008.
- SOAP Orders and License Suspension:
- Sex Trafficking and Child Sexual Exploitation in the Area:
- “Tampa Couple Charged with Trying to Sell Two Teens into Prostitution”, Lakeland Ledger, August 28 1980.
- “Arrest Made in Child Prostitution Ring”, St. Petersburg Times, August 11 1988.
- “Tampa Man Set Up Teen For Prostitution, Police Say”, Tampa Bay Online, July 3 2010.
- “Police Say Prostitution Ring Operated Out of South Tampa House”, Tampa Bay Times, August 26 2011.
- “Prostitute Admits Forcing Teen Girls into Sex Trade”, Tampa Bay Online, October 9 2012.
- “Tampa Targets Massage Parlors that Front for Prostitution”, Tampa Bay Online, October 13 2012.
- “VIDEO: Runaway Teens Held in Hotel, Forced into Prostitution”, USA Today, June 14 2013.
- “Broward Judge Sets $30,000 Bond for Man Charged with Human Trafficking”, NBC/WTVJ-TV 6, June 28 2013.
- “Man Beat Homeless Woman, Forced Her into Prostitution, Police Say”, South Florida Sun Sentinel, June 28 2013.
- “Tampa Man Admits Keeping Teens for Prostitution”, Tampa Tribune, January 27 2014.
- “South Florida Man Gets 37 Years for Sex Trafficking,” South Florida Sun Sentinel, December 8 2014.
- “Tampa Man Accused of Forcing 16-Year-Old Girl into Prostitution,” Tampa Bay Times, April 28 2015.
- “Witness Gave Inconsistent Narratives in Human Trafficking Investigation; Florida Keys Children’s Shelter Former Staffer’s Federal Trial Continues Next Week,” Florida Keys Keynoter, October 31 2015.
- Background on Prostitution in the Area:
- “9 Arrested in Smash of Tampa Vice Ring”, St. Petersburg Times, June 15 1961.
- “40 Arrested in Crackdown of Prostitution in Tampa”, Lakeland Ledger, March 26 1986.
- “Neighbors Complain Male Prostitution Has Overrun Corner”, St. Petersburg Times, August 18 1987.
- “Tampa Officials Unveil New Plans to Tackle Prostitution”, St. Petersburg Times, March 27 1998.
- “Sweep Targets Crime in East Tampa”, St. Petersburg Times, May 13 2003.
- Documented Violence Against Individuals Engaged in Prostitution in the Area:
- “Dismembered Body that of Prostitute,” Ocala Star-Banner, March 10 1988.
- “Jurors Deliberate Killer’s Fate; Convicted in Death of Tampa Prostitute”, Ocala Star-Banner, November 9 1988.
- “Man Shot by Officer in Robles Park Prostitution Sting”, Tampa Bay Times, May 20 2008.
- “Porn Stars Accused of Sex-Party Murder Shared Exploits on Twitter, Text Messages”, Tampa Bay Times, June 26 2010.
- “Tampa Police Arrest 16 in Prostitution Crackdown Before RNC”, Tampa Bay Online, August 18 2012.
State | Florida |
Type | City |
Population | 336823 |
Location |
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