Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd provides an update about a seven-day-long multi-agency undercover operation focused on human trafficking, during which 219 arrests were made of suspects who solicited prostitutes and those who offered to commit prostitution, and other suspects who profited from or aided & abetted prostitution.
https://youtu.be/KdsGmm_ccI8
More than 200 people face charges relating to a week-long, multi-agency human trafficking investigation in Polk County, Sheriff Grady Judd said Thursday.
Among those arrests, two people were charged with human trafficking. More than 20 people who were victims of human trafficking were found, as well, the sheriff's office said.
"Sometimes we work an entire operation without being able to identify the human trafficker because the ladies are scared to death of them," Judd said. "So we think it's a big deal that we actually were able to charge criminally two with human trafficking and two others are under investigation."
Several people face charges of soliciting a prostitute, including a Polk County School athletic director and coach identified as Russell Rodgers, and several people employed by Disney.
Rogers is employed at Real Academy's Auburndale campus and has been with the school since 2017, according to the Polk County School District. Leaders say he was first hired in 2013.
While still listed as an employee, the school district indicated it is working toward terminating Rogers' employment.
"We’re disappointed to learn that one of our employees was engaging in this kind of behavior," Polk County Schools said in a statement. "Part of being an educator is understanding that you are held to a higher standard for your actions in the classroom, as well as the community.
"These charges don’t involve students, and Rogers was not on duty as a teacher, but this kind of conduct still has no place in our school system."
Judd said 30-year-old Freddy Escalona, from Chicago, Illinois, was charged with human trafficking and deriving proceeds from prostitution. According to the sheriff's office, Escalona loaned a woman about $2,200 so she could fix her car.
To pay back the loan, Escalona reportedly made the woman prostitute herself while he took a majority of those earnings for himself. Judd said the amount of money Escalona got from the woman's exploitation far exceeded the amount he loaned her in the beginning.
When Escalona was arrested, detectives said he had "several females that he worked" who paid him to take them places and "keep them safe." Additional charges are pending as the investigation continues, the sheriff's office said.
A woman, 36-year-old Maria Guzman of Orlando, was also charged with human trafficking and deriving proceeds. According to Judd, Guzman trafficked two victims from an Orlando hotel. She reportedly set up their "dates" and profited from the money they earned.
Judd added two other people may soon also face human trafficking charges from this undercover operation, pending additional investigation.
In total, 219 people were arrested in connection to the undercover human trafficking operation. A total of 83 people were arrested for soliciting a prostitute and traveling to the undercover location for sex. Seventeen additional people were arrested and of those, five people were either profiting from prostitution or aiding and abetting prostitutes. Eight people drove prostitutes to the undercover location.
Judd added several children were also turned over to the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) during the investigation. Two women, arrested for prostitution, reportedly brought a 14-month-old baby with them to meet for paid sex. While one was having sex, the other would watch the baby, Judd said.
Another man arrested for solicitation reportedly left his 1-year-old at home in order to meet for sex. Judd said the man said the baby wasn't really alone because "the dog was watching the baby."
https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/polkcounty/polk-county-grady-judd-human-trafficking-investigation/67-d9a6165d-504f-4dea-9a39-dc30729606d3