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Polk County Sheriff's office
An image of the 78 suspects netted in a crackdown on prostitution in Polk County, Fla., posted on the Polk County Sheriff's Facebook page.
Officers from Polk County, a largely rural area sandwiched between Tampa and Orlando, arrested 78 people on prostitution and related charges between Thursday and Sunday in an ambitious undercover vice crackdown on online solicitation.
"It’s sending a message," said Polk County public information officer Donna Wood. "We don’t want it in our county. We do not want prostitution or anything with illicit sexual activity in our county… We don’t want your drugs, your diseases, and all the other crimes that accompany it."
The operation was run by third-term Sheriff Grady Judd, who spearheaded an effort decades ago, when he was in the vice squad, to shut down hundreds of Polk county strip clubs, adult book shops, massage parlors, and video stores and other operations that tend to facilitate prostitution.
According to a profile published by the Tampa Bay Times, moral outrage once prompted Grady to even run a sting on a suspected child porn publisher in Colorado, and then send two officers more than 1,800 miles to arrest him.
This time, the third-term sheriff was targeting the newest gathering place for prostitutes and potential clients — Internet sites such as backpage.com and Craigslist. The operation targeted both the prostitutes who posted Internet ads offering their services in Polk, as well as would-be customers who responded to fake ads — with the presumably unintended effect of luring some of the suspects into Polk county from outside.
The sheriff's office announced the crackdown with much fanfare on Monday, offering up details of who-agreed-to-what-sex-act-for-what-price, as well as the jobs, marital status and other details about the perpetrators. He posted their pictures on Facebook.
The sheriff’s office reported that 18 of the 78 people booked into Polk County jail admitted they were married, including two suspects who were married to each other. It noted that more than 30 of the suspects had criminal histories — including nine registered felons. Fourteen were on public assistance and 22 said they were unemployed.
They said 50 of the suspects were working — citing jobs that included "microbiologist," "city employee," "food server" and "porn star." One is a Law Enforcement Academy trainee who was preparing to graduate this week, police said.
"Some will argue that this is a misdemeanor, and a victimless crime. That is absolutely not true," said Wood, adding that one of the suspects left her three small children with a virtual stranger when she set out to turn a trick with a client who turned out to be an undercover officer.
Another suspect, who is married, allegedly arranged with the undercover officer to pay extra for unprotected sex, she said.
"It’s a question of quality of life. The sheriff is adamant about maintaining that quality of life for our residents," Wood said. "One of the ways we do that is by fighting prostitution."
All the suspects were booked into the Polk County jail, though many have since posted bond and been released.
According to Wood, this is typical when the county runs vice operations, which it does regularly.
"They frequently are arrested and bond out and hopefully they never come back to our county," she said.
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What's the problem?Hey you call 2 men together'married' normal,or a guy so screwed up he want's his dick made into a vagina.You want him to be able to adopt or have atrificial insemination.Why not throw out everything.It's what people want.
I'm not sure about men growing vagina's or having babies. This is the oldest profession in the world.
They may be able to slow it down but it will never stop. People want to get their freak on and their willing to pay for it. People are willing to sell it.
How many have aids or HIV? Should they be tested? If they refuse can you take blood anyway?
Legally, they have to be tested once a month or they can have their license revoked. Oh……Uh, Nevermind.
Marriage is just a form of prostitution that has been legalized. I give all my money to my wife and if I am lucky I will get laid.
Plus a marriage entails a retirement plan. Its a very bad deal for men.
Marriage is over rated.... If she loves you, she will stay without paperwork and a ring. Hahahaha, so kidding... Guys, we are screwed in all the wrong meanings of the word. And watch out, I know some crazies that have pulled the goalie without consent or acknowledgment from some of my friends. Now they are stuck together for 18 years with a kid they never even wanted in the first place. CRAZIES!!!!
The sheriff's argument makes a valid case...to legalize prostitution.
Look at Germany, Amsterdam, etc. Hell, look at the Bunny Ranch in Nevada. Once a formal business is run and there are set rules such as no alcohol/drugs for the ladies, and they are regularly screened for STDs, its a well oiled machine.
Just like the failed war on the drugs, and the failure of Prohibition, you can not stem the tide of this. But you can make it legal, regulated, and get these scum off the neighborhood street corners.
When it's in an area that's perceived as being liberal, it's those Godless communists. Then if it's in Republican America, it needs to be legalized. You whackjobs have to realize that you're much too transparent. All your lies and misdirection is right out there for the world to see. I don't care one way or the other about prostitution. There are much bigger fish to fry and we need to pull in one direction.
Mexiico's Puta so you are of the opinion if we hadn't elected Obama that Florida wouldn't have any prostitution in Florida so we better impeach him for being a pimp. A Obama hater and most likely a hater of all blacks. Guess we never had women in prostitution until Obama was president you need to be committed.Why must the idiots that post their hate for Obama on anything and everything that doesn't even relate to him it shows they are complete idiots. Gues they are proud that they are idiots!
Wayne you must been very drunk or high on drugs when you commented for not one thing you posted made any sense.
I will give you ONE thing. What does Obama have to do with this?... NOTHING, but just because someone doesn't like Obama does not make them a racist.. in fact I think we found the real racist... YOU! You go ahead and stay in your little world of lies and confusion, but real idiot is you my friend.
Clayton, before you go ragging on someone for their personal opinion and calling them "idiots" maybe you should work on getting your posts above the third grade level. Pretty sad that you can't compose an actual sentence but you can point fingers at someone else and belittle them. It seems to me that it is you who is the idiot.
Wow !! These cops must be so proud !! Was the donut shop closed?? You can meet a girl at a bar, buy her drinks, buy her dinner take her to a motel and it is all legal. If you want to cut to the chase and hand her a crisp five dollar bill it all of a sudden becomes a crime??? And our gorvernment wants to ruin these peoples lives?? Is that what government is about??
I forgot some of our laws date back a few hundred years!
How many man hours and how much money was spent on this "big bust"?? (Can I say that or is that against the law too??)
Crimes are being committed all over the place, property is being taken, lives are in danger and this higly trained swat team is going after Ward Clever becasue June doesn't excite him anymore !!
What a joke !
Morality laws should be left to all the screwed up religions not to the government !!
How many familys are taking the hit because of this hillbilly police department?? How many children are going to feel the pain seeing the problems that their parents now have?? All becasue someone paid for something that a group of people doesn't think is right !! Every stinking cop involved has done something that they did not want their partner to know about !! It doesn't make it right but it sure did not need the goody two shoes police to go and ruin these peoples lives !
All because they paid for something ! Take the money out of the whole thing and it is all 100% legal !
This is why our country is a joke ! I guess there are no crimes at all that they could have spent their time on !!
Spend all of your money on Lottery tickets and thats ok.... Bet a couple of dollars on the super bowl and dudly do right will be there to get you !
They make me sick and I hope I never, ever have to drive through that part of Florida !
It is ADULTS people.
FYI-- If you stop 78 people at random on the streets here in florida I bet more then 30 of them will have criminal records !
Thank you, doug ja...I was getting ready to carry on but you said it all for me...and much better than I could have.
uh well except for this part
Seriously? "a crisp five dollar bill?!? You left at least one zero off of that number lol
Well,my goodness, Mariyam, $50? Ain't you high class.
I said he left off at least one zero meaning the rate could/should be 50 or 500 or 5,000.
But that wasn't the point - he's willing to pay $100 or so for dinner & a room, but going the direct route he only wants to give her $5.00? The only thing that should get him is a slap across the face, that is if she has the strength to lift her arm from laughing so hard.
Grady's a political grand stander and media opportunist who panders to the Bible Belt evangelicals here in Polk Co. He fancies himself Polk Co's answer to AZ's Sheriff Arpaio.
What an incredible waste of taxpayer money and needless trashing of adult's lives.
Culheath is exactly right. Grady Judd is the premiere media whore. If there is something in front of the camera in Polk (oh listen, I hear farm animals) County, then the Juddster is there. He is a local joke for those of us who thankfully do not live in that County and actually have a living and breathing life. Hot damn, Grady, you dunit agin!
mm
I wouldn't bang any one of them. Free at last!
This is the kind sheriff you will find gets convicted in few years of using proceeds from the Department to fund a mistress on the side or will get caught taking bribes etc....
I have to say "WOW" just ask Mr Schwarzenegger (Arnold) you know Mr. ex-gov of California what he thinks!
This article is a joke, bust these people for what. Your never going to stop it, waste of time, money, etc. Please tell me this police Dept has nothing better to do. I would be embarrassed if I was part of that law enforcement. Wasting tax payers money. We live in a liberal society were we are passing laws on gay this and that, sexual change from man to women, women to man...Corrupt politicians...violence on TV..sexual content up the kazoo on television...Artist singing songs on sex, partying and everything else. Violent video games that your teenagers sits for hours brain dead playing these games everyday. Watch x rated movies on any cable or dish programming you want, all of this 100 percent legal. Banks stealing from people everyday, legal entities running corrupt businesses! Shame on you wasting peoples time. Do something that really matters.
Nope, I lived near there. This is a hard core bible thumper who is on a mission for God to take out the trash. He makes the inmates buy their own underwear. I thought he was off the wall until a press interview about one of his deputies and dog getting killed in the line of duty. The reporter asked why did you shoot the suspect 107 times?? Sherriff Judd said straight up "Cause we ran out of bullets".....He actually said it and it was the truth, I liked him ever since. He and his crew don't play.......If you don't like it I would suggest you stay far away.
What does Bible thumping mean, never meant more corrupt people in my life then some of those bible thumpers. You do not get the point, there is more corruption going on in your on neighborhood then that, that needs attention. Your just blind to it! Because you haven't been exposed yet.
It wouldn't be at all surprising to discover after thorough investigation, that his main objective was to eliminate the competition.
I've known some preachers , I've known some hookers, invariably the hookers were the more honest of the two.
Steven, I have not been exposed to corruption in my neighborhood because I don't look for it, enjoy your drugs and hoes. They are your blinders and will not last......
That Sheriff knows he can never hope to stamp out prostitution. His stated goal was to move it out of Polk County which he can do but it will only reappear somewhere else. Sex is just too useful as a commodity. No matter how much you sell, there's always more.
PS: "Fake ads" = entrapment. A complete defense for those who want to appear in court.
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Online prostitution?
That's about as dumb as online sex, or online love!
or online gun sales.
Bravo for New York!
Are you nuts or just another commie? The New York assemblymen passed a law that the citizens never had a chance to comment on. I never thought that I would live to see the day that millions of people would let themselves be subjected to this kind of treatment from their elected officials.
Boy, I feel safe now!!! I guess there are no real crimes for this little hillbilly police department to work on.
Did the donut shop move out of town??
These cops must be so proud and happy for their hard and dangerous work !! Did they kick the doors down and throw these poor tax payers to the ground???
These cops must be as good as God!! I bet they had a blast sitting there telling stories about how they have made this world a better place to be !!
You know if you take the $$$$ out of this story.... it is all legal. Sine our local government thinks it needs to be the moral police they will keep on wasting the money and man hours going after adults doing what they do !!
How much money and how many man hours did this all take up???? There is no crime in this town?? You can walk the streets at night and be safe??
If you meet a girl at a bar and buy her drinks and then take her out for a nice meal and then off to a motel it is all legal !!! BUT.........if you want to just cut to the chase and hand her a nice crisp five dollar bill and tell her to pick up a happy meal on the way home it is a CRIME?????
How many children are going to have to deal with family problems because Johnny Law deciced to he wanted to screw up Daddys life?? Just because Ward wasn't happy with June anymore and wanted to have a little adult excitment !!???
Not wanting things in your town is one thing... but putting adults in jail for being adults??? Remeber the only thing that makes this wrong is that fact that there was money involved !!
Go spend all your money on lottery tickets and you are a fine citizan but dare to put a few bucks on the super bowl and those same glorified security gards will come after you !! Looking out they are watching you right now!!
I know the whole thing about things your can catch, and how it is not safe etc. etc. but the fact if we make being stupid against the law the roads will be mighty empty !!
I love all the little figures breaking down who these poor people are. You stop 78 people at random in these little red neck florida towns and you will find more then 30 people with police records !!
It is a joke !! A waste of time and money and a sad thing to hurt the children of these familys just because Daddy had to pay for it!!
Bottom line is .... if you look like Brad Pitt you don't have to worry about these back wards laws... If you look like Mr. Ed you better watch out and not ever try to do what adults do !!
Where do you stand if you look like Brad Pit but hung like Mr. Ed?
All those !!!! and ???? You must have some pretty strong feelings about prostitution, ja. Now, why is that????
I wonder if the police up our way ought to talk to you concerning about a dozen unsolved murders of "escorts".
sorry i had no spell check on my last rant..
oh, last thing... a mother who leaves her children in danger will do it prostitution or no prostitution !!
Hey Mrs.Wood ... A BAD PARENT IS A BAD PARENT !!! You think that these people are now model citizens??
These people should not be allowed to have children ! ( that is another story)
Spend your time in schools helping these poor kids who have such sorry parents. That is where you are needed !!!
Quite a lot of this online prostitution rings can and has involved children being used for sex.....to bad you all think cops shouldn't do these bust but if one of these busts saves one kid from being used in the sex trade it worth the money and time....
Agreed Mouser! Guaranteed that some, if not most of these people have children. Probably at home alone or in state or foster care. Makes me sick!
Then arrest and prosecute the people involved in child prostitution. Leave consenting adults alone.
You have to wonder about the priorities of using police resources over a bunch of adults involved in prostitution. If they are all consenting adult perverts, so be it................get out and protect law abiding citizens against sociopaths!
Why are not the police out going after gangs, drug dealers/users, pedophiles and protecting school children............need more "ideas" for better use of police and prosecutors?
If you think that is bad check the sex criminal register out in your area. You will find hundreds just in a 5-10 square mile area of convicted sex criminals. There are some just blocks away from where I live. The justice system will let them out only for them to feed on law abiding folks. You can get their addresses and photos and crimes committed. If you have children you best check them out. They could be living right next door to you. This is the state of the World we all live in. People are just not safe with gun laws or others to protect us. Everyone needs to protect themselves from the criminal element. Sometimes it makes you wonder WHO you can trust. Everyone is responsible for their own actions, period.
Out of all those pic there were only 2 chicks even remotely doable.
I'm guessing they were nearly all "Johns" and not hookers.
Pretty scurvy looking group.
If I had an online hookup and anyone in these pics showed up I would pretend I was some one else .
" What? No. Bob just stepped out. Leave your number. Bye."
The government needs to get out of the morality/vice business. They have no business telling adults what they can do with their bodies, minds, or their sex lives.
No only that, keeping prostitution illegal, keeps it in the hands of organized crime, and human traffickers. Its time to legalize it, and protect sex workers nation wide. Anywhere thats has legalized prostitution, you dont see underage girls being turned out. And you see sex workers properly regulated, to protect the public health from the spread of STD's. And they are protected from people who would physically harm them.
You cant legislate morality, and creating a blackmarket for sex workers only worsens the problem and puts people at risk from predators and other exploiters.
Polk County has a large drug smuggling and sales operation--I know, I lived there and left because Hispanics get pulled over when ten cars are all speeding, blacks are harassed when they walk down their own street, and the expense of all this is stupidity beyond words. Polk County Serriff wastes thousands to stamp out victim less crime (it's not victimless, he said, this out of work woman left her children with a BABYSITTER, a virtual stranger). Funnier his team only solved 20% of the reported crimes in Polkl COunty (uh, duh, we no have electronic toys so, sorry). He went for easy fishing in a barrel and a re-election. Gutless termigant.
Unbelievable. I suppose the numerous funeral services were a hoax also. Tell that to the families that lost their child, and will never see them grow up, and to the family of the teacher that sacraficed herself to protect the children she so dearly loved. I cannot imagine what is in the minds of these truthers to harass a grandfather whose only concern was to comfort children that moments earlier bore witness to such a horrific crime in a place where parents considered a safe place for the education of their children. There are too many other major issues in the world and in our country to be concerned about and it seems to be these truthers could be focusing on other issues rather than threatening an elderly couple doing what any compassionate person would have done when finding frightened children in the driveway of their home.
chadeaunoir: What does anything you said concern this story about a hillbilly cop in Florida rounding up prostitutes and Johns? Did you cut/past onto the wrong story, 'cause nothing in your post makes any sense regarding this story.
Typical NBC News not knowing what they"re talking about. They say Polk county is a mostly rural area between Tampa and Orlando. The sting was centered around the county seat which is Lakeland, population a rural 100,000.
I live in Polk Co and most of it IS rural. It's a huge county with 1 sizeable city, as you mentioned, Lakeland and a few more cities like Winter Haven, Haines City and Lake Wales (20-40,000 pop), all of them clustered in one area near Lakeland...the rest of the county is very rural.
Polk county--ruined by the phosphate companies--shipping phosphate to Boca Grande to Japan--In places Polk county looks like a moon scape--I grew up in Wauchula--I remember the Peace River -the water was yellow from a busted dam in the Ft Mede area.
I'm betting that Sheriff Grady Judd has a tiny peen. He's incapable of ever really knowing what poonany feels like, so he doesn't want anybody else to either. I applaud his work in protecting kids from pedo's - that's what he should focus on, not consenting adults minding their own business. The World is not any safer because of this bust.
Okay Mr. Cuomo, did you and your politically motivated legislature include the high capacity magazine ban to your states law enforcement agencies who use 15 round pistol mags, Obama's Secret Service agents pistol mags and any other LE agencies with the same banned magazines that enter your state.
How about "assault type" fully automatic rifles used by these same agencies using these weapons in highly populated areas. If your legislation is so important then the ban should apply to all. Safety for your voters first you know..........
What a bunch of self serving political hacks taking advantage of a recent tragedy to further their anti-gun agenda. You're all in line with Obama and Rahm's philosophy of "never letting a good crisis go to waste"
This Sting Operation is about raising money for the municipality and the County Sheriff posturing his re-election campaign. County Sheriff Grady Judd's moral crusade is a charade at best, at worse a fraud.
As any Vice cop can tell you when the municipality needs extra cash, the Vice Squad is sent out to do a round-up. When the local election is around the corner, the Vice squad gets marching orders from the County Sheriff to 'clean up the streets'.
No police department has ever eliminated prostitution from its community. And no police chief in his right mind would divert precious law enforcement resources trying to eliminate the 'world's oldest profession.' Hence, the Vice squad's raison de etre is to perform two missions: public relations and revenue raising.
Sheriff Grady Judd is being disingenuous.