281 arrested in Florida operation targeting sex crimes
Law enforcement in Polk County secured 488 new charges, including 198 felonies, over a seven-day period.
By Isabella Castillo ·
Florida authorities arrested 281 people and filed 488 new charges during a seven-day undercover operation in Polk County. The operation, named Polk Around & Find Out II, focused on individuals accused of traveling to meet children for unlawful sexual activity and commercial sex activity. Prosecutors recorded 198 felony charges from the arrests.
The investigations began before the arrests and continued through Friday. During the operation, law enforcement coordinated with the nonprofit One More Child. Investigators also reviewed whether additional children were victimized by a youth football coach among those taken into custody.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier spoke at a news conference on Friday. He stated that those who came to Polk County expecting to sexually abuse a child found cuffs instead. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd noted that the arrested suspects carried a combined 798 prior criminal charges. Officials reported that 24 suspects had firearms and 32 people faced drug possession charges.
The sheriff’s office identified 17 of the arrested individuals as theme park employees. Judd said Disney informed investigators it had fired connected employees. He added that he had not received an update from Universal regarding the employment status of its arrested workers.
Forty of the arrested people lived in Polk County. Others came from other parts of Florida, 20 other states, and 18 countries. The sheriff’s office said 32 arrested people were in the country unlawfully. Sixteen of them were transferred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
An ICE official at the news conference said the agency interviewed more than 65 foreign-born people. The agency placed more than 30 detainers on people identified as removable under immigration law. One More Child said it engaged with 93 people during the operation. Eighteen agreed to receive services.
The nonprofit identified 11 people believed to be victims of human trafficking. Sine Dressler, One More Child’s senior director of anti-trafficking operations, said accepting help takes trust. She noted that people may be afraid, unsure, or not ready to take that step. The investigation into the youth football coach continues.
Source: Atlanta News First · original report published
