Authorities in Texas have arrested nearly 50 people, including one high school teacher and a youth pastor, as part of a sting operation aimed at combatting sex trafficking. Anyone who is a victim or has information about other local sex trafficking cases is urged to call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text HELP or INFO to BeFree (233733). A youth pastor was among the 46 men arrested after an investigation revealed those suspected behind sex trafficking cases in North Texas, according to a report from CBS News. Keep it Clean. Our effort is to deter all people from seeking out this criminal behavior, and, therefore, making our County safer for everyone.. 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In Frisco, two hotels were used for the undercover operation by the Department of Homeland Security. 20. Soliciting prostitution used to be a slap on the wrist misdemeanor charge. We will never stop working to identify, locate and apprehend these predators to make our community safer for our children," said Dallas Chief of Police Eddie Garcia. Loving County, the least-populated county in the continental U.S., had 57 residents as of the latest U.S. Census Bureau estimate. Chief Deputy TJ Cruz explained that operations like these are meant to protect public safety and prevent human trafficking. In 2021, Collin County officials made 18 arrests during 'Operation Safe Halloween' and seized a number of electronic devices used to contact young children. Australian Federal Police blurred the suspect's face due to privacy concerns. Latest timing, chances, Gallery: Photos of 2021 I-35W pileup released with NTSB report, Longhorn Ballroom, famed Dallas dancehall, reopening in spring 2023 after renovations, Man arrested in connection to shooting death of 16-year-old girl found in Oak Cliff creek, police say. What is a police sting operation? Ten people were arrested, ranging in age from 23 to 77. Our effort is to deter all people from seeking out this criminal behavior, and, therefore, making our County safer for everyone.. Skeet, hes not ours, Sparks recalled saying in an interview with NBC News. It is common practice for officers to engage in this behavior in a prostitution sting in order to gain the suspects trust and carry out the sting operation in Texas. Chance of rain 40%. A 60-day sting operation conducted by law enforcement officers from several agencies netted the arrests of nearly a dozen suspects accused of committing crimes A Connecticut woman says her two 10-year-old German Shepherds, Cimo and Lieben, were shot, beheaded, and killed by a hunter from New York. Nobody's safe? Among the 46 men included a high school football coach, a youth pastor and a director of operations at a hospital. The men allegedly arranged online to meet at the hotels where they intended to pay for sex, authorities said. HOUSTON The day Texass new law regarding solicitation of prostitution went into effect, Houston police ran a sting operation in an area known as the Bissonnet Track.. Men looking to pay for sex who responded to the undercover adds arrived at the hotels in Frisco and Southlake only to find police waiting for them. Baker recently was appointed police chief in Coleman, Texas his hometown and left his job as a special ranger, though Fuchs said Baker will still see this case According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, in Jan. 2022, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Criminal Investigations Division (CID) conducted multiple Adult Prostitution Operations and Online Solicitation of Minor Operations throughout the West Texas Region. WACO, Texas (FOX 44) Twelve arrests have been made in a McLennan County prostitution sting. The accused listed below are presumed innocent until proven guilty. They can be subjected to physical and sexual assault, robbery and even murder.. Jones, the scion of a prominent ranching family and the top elected official in this sparsely populated West Texas county for the past 15 years, is charged with three felony counts of livestock theft and one count of engaging in organized crime potentially facing decades in prison if convicted. The warrants allege that Jones and the ranch hands rounded up stray livestock in Loving and Pecos counties and sold them at auctions in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico without first notifying the Sheriffs Office to find their rightful owners a violation of a state law. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Don't Threaten. We also had a semi-pro hockey player. He got permission from a landowner to turn them loose. The men looking to pay for sex responded to the ads, arrived at the hotels in Frisco and Southlake, and were greeted by police officers waiting for them. What do you think his plan was? "I'm very happy to see those soliciting being prosecuted because if there's no demand there's no supply," said Chelsea Robertson. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. A week later, a Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association market inspector told Baker the cows had turned up at the Big Spring Livestock Auction in Big Spring, Texas, about two-and-a-half hours away. During this weeks operation, one of the defendants negotiated a price but arrived with no money. But earlier this month, federal authorities showed that sex trafficking is happening in the shadows of Southlake's Town Square and Frisco's Stonebriar Mall. Threats of harming another accounts, the history behind an article. Why try to catch him if it was so hard? An additional four individuals were arrested on the second day of the operation, the news release stated. Baker recently was appointed police chief in Coleman, Texas his hometown and left his job as a special ranger, though Fuchs said Baker will still see this case through. "Those who traffic victims are the scourge of the earth, and we will continue to target those responsible for the trafficking and those who solicit sex from them.". The aim of the operation was to rescue child victims as well as apprehend abusers who were trafficking illegal images and videos of children forced into sexual "Giving help and support to those who are vulnerable to being pulled into prostitution rings is a great way to start to eradicate the availability of the product.". (Alvarado later told Baker hed checked the bull for markings and brands and there were none. "We had a high school teacher, who is also a football coach, we had a youth pastor," Perez said. Last year, a 15-year-old girl disappeared from a Dallas Mavericks game at American Airlines Center and was found a few days later in Oklahoma City; three people were arrested on charges of human trafficking. We'd love to hear eyewitness that is degrading to another person. You can reach her on Twitter at @rumpfsarahc, Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Many prostitutes are themselves victims of human trafficking, Cruz said. When police have a strong suspicion that an individual has a predisposition to commit a crime, they may set up a sting operation to Although the names of the 46 suspects have not been released, the Lewisville Independent School District confirmed Marcus High School teacher and football coach Cecil Tim Morrison was among them. The story behind the cattle sting starts on March 2, 2021, when Special Ranger Marty Baker, 58, was dispatched from Midland, Texas, to Loving County to investigate the shooting deaths of five black stray cattle. Texas just became the first state to make a first-time solicitation of prostitution offense a felony. Jana Kilcrease. High 83F. If youre a special ranger and youre really interested in stopping rustling, you dont sneak out in the middle of the night and unload a bunch of cattle that you secretly microchipped, Simonsen said. The operation led to the arrest of these 23 individuals for Solicitation of Prostitution: Dallas police said it also seized three firearms and more than $6,000 in cash. I would caution parents to take a good look at yourself, take a good look at the people that you have your children around, understand the environment in which you're letting children have digital equipment in your home," said Hohman. Awareness of sexual trafficking and exploitation have grown immensely in recent years, heightened by a handful of high-profile cases. BELL COUNTY, Texas Ten "would-be johns" have been arrested in a joint prostitution sting in Bell County, according to the Bell County Sheriff's Department. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) conducts minor sting operations as part of its enforcement of these laws, and the TABC is very transparent about the manner in which they conduct these operations. Officers responded to more than 700 messages from 73 different people in response to ads placed as part of the sting over two days. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. BELTON, Texas ( FOX 44) A prostitution sting in Bell County has resulted in ten arrests. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. There was a problem saving your notification. January 20, 2023 / 10:14 PM She explained that the progression of people looking at illicit mages and videos can lead to action and put even more children in harm's way and also lead to sex trafficking. 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