Tallahassee Sun

A two-year investigation into Florida sex trafficking led to more than 170 arrests, including federal charges filed against 19 people. A total of 106 people face felony counts, and misdemeanors were filed against another 72.

Lawrence Keefe, the U.S. States attorney for the Northern District of Florida, Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence E. Revell and Lorena Bueno, an assistant state attorney for the Second Judicial Court, made the announcement at a Nov. 17 news conference in Tallahassee.

Revell said the investigation was launched in November 2018 when Tallahassee Police Department investigators noticed images of a minor posted on a website advertising sex for money. Operation Stolen Innocence revealed a large amount of “electronic evidence” and it took months to ascertain what had occurred.

“This investigation is a testament to how diligent our investigators work to enhance the quality of life for everyone in this community, especially our vulnerable population,” Revell said at the news conference. “They worked tirelessly to bring justice to the victim in this case and were able to make an unprecedented number of human trafficking-related arrests. I could not be prouder of the steadfast efforts of our investigators and the joint effort with our partners to stop the illegal and dehumanizing practice of human trafficking.”

The Tallahassee Police Department worked with the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshal Service, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office.

“It is difficult to comprehend the depravity of these criminals who prey on the most innocent in our society,” said Kevin Sibley, acting special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa field office. “Thanks to the collective efforts of the Tallahassee Police Department and HSI special agents, our local communities are significantly safer today as a result of this investigation.”

Andrea Clarke, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Florida, said the investigation centered around a single victim.

Clarke told the Tallahassee Sun the victim, a girl who was 13 when the abuse began, is currently receiving support. 

“It’s really atrocious,” she said.

The girl’s mother asked for money or drugs in exchange for people having sex with her daughter. The encounters occurred in hotel rooms and a messy apartment, according to court documents.

Keefe said this investigation shows how pervasive sex trafficking is and how much effort must be undertaken to eliminate it.

“The victims of sex trafficking crimes need our help,” he said at the news conference. “As a society we must all do our part to be there for them in any way that we can. For so long as I am the United States attorney, I will do everything I can to contribute to multi-agency efforts, to make federal resources available, and to assist your state attorney, your police department and your sheriff as they protect our children and guard this community.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Spaven will prosecute the federal crimes, which include enticement and coercion of a minor to engage in sexual activity, enticement and coercion of a minor to engage in prostitution, production and/or receipt of child pornography, transfer of obscene material to a minor, sex trafficking a minor, and conspiracy to sex traffic a minor.

Clarke said people must become informed and aware of these dangers to protect their children from falling victim to such deplorable criminal actions.

“Really, it’s just being vigilant and knowing what the warning signs are,” she told the Tallahassee Sun. “This can happen in our community.”

She said young people involved in drug and alcohol abuse are particularly vulnerable, as are youngsters from troubled homes. Runaways and homeless teens also are often preyed upon by sex traffickers.