web-stings

Winder, GA

Winder is a city of about Barrow County is a county of approximately 19,000 residents, located about 50 miles northeast of Atlanta, Georgia (near Athens). Prostitution activity has been well-documented within the county, and the problems and ancillary crimes it generates results in complaints from residents and businesses. For example, in 2006, three people were […]

Encinitas, CA

Encinitas is a coastal community of approximately 62,000 residents, located near Vista in San Diego County, California.  Prostitution and child sex trafficking are known to have occurred in the city. Local law enforcement, supported by the San Diego North County Regional Prostitution/Human Trafficking Task Force have conducted periodic reverse stings to combat consumer-level demand for […]

Rossford, OH

Rossford is a small city of approximately 6,000 residents in Wood County, Ohio, located near Perrysburg and Toledo. Its major prostitution and sex trafficking problems have been attributed to its proximity to highways and the Toledo metropolitan area. News reports of widespread truck stop prostitution in Rossford and other communities along the Interstates 75 and […]

Perrysburg Township, OH

Perrysburg Township is a community of approximately 13,000 residents, located south of Toledo near Perrysburg in Wood County, Ohio. Situated along Interstate-75, the township has struggled with prostitution and sex trafficking activity in and around local truck stops and motels for decades. When asked by members of the press what led officers to target sex buyers in addition to prostituted women, […]

Bristol, VA

Bristol is a city of about 17,000 residents located in the southeastern part of Virginia.  The city straddles the Northeastern border of Tennessee, and is considered part of the “Tri-Cities” area comprised of Bristol (Virginia and Tennessee), Johnson City (Tennessee), Kingsport (Tennessee) and surrounding smaller communities.  A wide range of problems associated with commercial sex […]

Eau Claire, WI

Eau Claire is a city of approximately 70,000 residents, located in Eau Claire County in the Chippewa Valley area of western Wisconsin. Sex trafficking and prostitution activity are known to occur in the region for decades, and associated problems include drug and weapons offenses, sex trafficking, and the robbery of sex buyers. For example, between 1951 […]

Blue Lake, CA

Blue Lake is a small incorporated city of approximately 1,200 residents in Northern California, near Eureka.  Prostitution activity has been well-documented in the city and surrounding communities, and in unincorporated areas of the county. This activity and the problems and ancillary crimes it generates results in complaints to law enforcement agencies from residents and businesses. […]

Kailua-Kona, HI

Kailua-Kona is a city of around 23,000 residents located in Hawaii County. Until 2012, the city was not believed to have a significant problem with commercial sex. However, since 2012, police have learned more about ongoing prostitution and sex trafficking in the area. Victim advocates and police believe that sex trafficking occurs in Kailua but […]

Arlington County, VA

Arlington County contains approximately 236,000 residents, located just outside of Washington D.C. in Virginia. Prostitution and sex trafficking activity in the county are well-documented, as a wide range of prostitution-related crimes such as the produciton of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) and homicide. For example, in April, 2021, a former Arlington attorney who allegedly used […]

Zephyrhills, FL

Zephyrhills is a city of about 16,000 residents situated near Tampa Bay in Pasco County, Florida. Some areas of the city have been known for street prostitution for decades, particularly along U.S. 301.  Cases of targeted homicides of women engaged in prostitution have also been documented.  Community complaints about prostitution play a role in police […]