>https://www.leoaffairs.com/doctors-lawyers-deputy-caught-massive-human-trafficking-sting-florida
Doctors, lawyers and a deputy caught in massive human trafficking sting in Florida
WINTER HAVEN — Two Tampa physicians were among the 277 people caught up in a weeklong undercover prostitution sting orchestrated by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Nelson Norberto Aldana, 40, of Tampa, and Douglas Klotch, 71, of Palmetto, were singled out by Polk Sheriff Grady Judd during a Tuesday afternoon news conference at his Winter Haven headquarters. Klotch is an ear, nose and throat specialist at Tampa General Hospital and a clinical professor of surgery at the University of South Florida College of Medicine.
It was not immediately clear whether Aldana is practicing, but his license is up-to-date.
Also arrested and charged with soliciting prostitution was Luis Diaz, 43, a 17-year veteran of Judd’s team of law officers.
“We caught one of our own,” Judd said of Diaz, who resigned from his position as a sheriff’s sergeant immediately after his arrest. “We are absolutely, unequivocally embarrassed. … It’s the power of sex, it gets you arrested and ends your career. He (Diaz) was a competent line supervisor for us. He made a bad choice.”
The sting, dubbed Operation No Tricks, No Treats, concluded Monday night at two undisclosed locations in Polk. The vast majority of arrests were for misdemeanor infractions, although Judd said some of the more serious charges were for human trafficking, traveling to meet a child for sexual conduct and transmitting material harmful to a minor.
Judd shared credit for what he called the county’s largest sting of its type with police agencies in Haines City, Lakeland, Lake Wales and Winter Haven, as well as the State Attorney’s Office.
Lakeland Police Chief Larry Giddens, who was on hand for Tuesday’s news conference, said he’s often asked about the necessity for such large-scale operations targeting prostitutes and their johns.
“It comes down to quality of life in our community,” he said.
Judd, too, said arrests of this nature help communities maintain their wholesome identities, but he also emphasized the importance of combating human trafficking, adding that the operation identified five potential victims.
“We are committed to fighting human trafficking by arresting those who engage in prostitution and trying to identify human trafficking victims,” Judd said in a prepared statement. “It’s no secret — you need to stay out of Polk County if you’re going to commit crime.”
According to Polk sheriff’s officials, 51 of those arrested had advertised online as prostitutes and another 209 people were arrested for soliciting undercover detectives posing as prostitutes. Seventeen people face charges of deriving proceeds from prostitution and other offenses.
A majority of the suspects — 215 — were from outside of Polk.
Among those singled out by Judd for soliciting prostitution were:
• Shobhit Gupta, 27, of Clermont, a pharmacist.
• Dr. Salil Jacob, 50, of Valrico, a pediatrician with the Pediatric Health Care Alliance.
• Charles Smith Jr., 48, of Plant City, an instructor at Lake Academy in Tampa, a juvenile facility for girls.