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Grady Judd: Disney employee busted in human trafficking sting
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd gives an update on a human trafficking bust that led to the arrests of 157 people, including a Disney employee.
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - More than 150 people, including a Disney employee and 25 illegal immigrants, have been arrested in an undercover human trafficking sweep in Polk County that also led to the rescue of four potential human trafficking victims.
Dubbed ‘Operation Autumn Sweep’, the five-day, multi-agency investigation led to the arrest of 157 suspects who solicited prostitutes and those who offered to commit prostitution, and other suspects who committed crimes related to prostitution.
Of those arrested, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd says 47 were prostitutes, 96 were Johns, 1 was a human trafficker and 14 are facing other charges.
He added that the oldest John was 61 and the youngest was 15.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd holds up a board with mugshots on it from a human trafficking bust.
According to Judd, those arrested had 327 prior felony charges and 400 misdemeanor charges.
He also shared that there were 25 illegal immigrants arrested during ‘Operation Autumn Sweep’.
Judd added that two of the potential human trafficking victims were in the country illegally and had to turn 20 ‘tricks’ a day to pay off the person who brought them into the United States. If they did not comply, Judd said that their human trafficker would slap and choke them.
The sheriff pointed out that 26 arrested were married and several were engaged. He said that one was a Disney employee who worked as a custodian at the theme park.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, three additional suspects were arrested for soliciting who they thought were children online, and charged with traveling to meet a minor, attempted lewd and lascivious battery on a minor, and use of a computer to seduce a child.
Investigators say one of those suspects works at Disney World, one is in Florida for work and out on bond for the same charges in another state (soliciting a child online); and the third is in the country illegally.
The four potential human trafficking victims are receiving help from the organization One More Child.
Human trafficking victims are encouraged to get help by calling:
- Hope Hotline - 1-833-GET-HOPE
- United Way – 211
- National Human Trafficking hotline- 1-888-373-7888
- Florida Dept. of Children and Families abuse hotline – 1-800-96-ABUSE
- Florida Human Trafficking Hotline – 1-855-FLA-SAFE
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