The Town of Ulster is in Ulster County, New York, and is located within the New York City metropolitan area. The town has a population of approximately 13,000 residents. In an effort to respond to community complaints and reduce the demand for prostitution, police have conducted reverse stings. For example, in 2008 the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office conducted a reverse sting that resulted in the arrest of 19 men. A female state trooper from out of the area played the role of a woman in prostitution in at least one operation.

In September 2018, a reverse sting was conducted in Ulster that focused on those attempting to buy sex with minors. Local and federal law enforcement authorities posed as minor children online. The suspects responded and solicited an arrangement to sexually abuse the decoy minors, and then appeared at the arranged location with the intent to engage sexually abuse the child. Six men were arrested and charges included second-degree attempted patronizing a prostitute, attempted second-degree rape, second-degree attempted criminal sexual act, and first-degree attempted disseminating indecent material to minors. The Sheriff’s Office, the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, Ulster Town Police, the Ulster County Regional Gang Enforcement Narcotics Team, and state police coordinated on the arrests. The defendants were arraigned in Ulster and Hurley town courts, and remanded to the Ulster County Jail.