“Fall Haul 2” saw the capture of 160 people during an undercover sting operation. Amongst those arrested were a Disney employee, a corrections officer, a former deputy police chief, and teachers.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office led several other law enforcement agencies in a seven-day operation that focused on human trafficking in Florida. Polk County Sherrif Grady Judd joked, “Where would we be with an undercover operation and no Disney employees? Oh yes, we always have Disney employees.”
Disney bellhop Guillermo Perez, 57, was arrested after trying to have sex with an undercover detective for $80. While another Disney employee, Samy Claude a contracted Disney photographer, was arrested after offering an undercover cop a bag of sour skittles for sex.
“The online prostitution industry enables traffickers and allows for the continued victimization of those who are being trafficked,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said at a news conference, WFTV reported. “Our goal is to identify victims, offer them help, and arrest those who are fueling the exploitation of human beings (Johns) and those profiting from the exploitation of human beings. Prostitution is not a victimless crime — it results in exploitation, disease, dysfunction, drug and alcohol addiction, violence and broken families.”
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office released a press statement regarding Fall Haul 2.
DiPrima, has resigned from his position as Deputy Chief of Administration for the Cartersville Police Department.
“He is no longer a police officer in Cartersville, Georgia, and he needs to work on reconstructing his life with his family. He did a very mean, nasty thing to his family and he certainly embarrassed all the people of Cartersville,” Judd said during a news conference. “The Cartersville Police Department is a very professional police department in Georgia and they didn’t deserve what Jason (DiPrima) did.”
Judd made sure he also spoke on how the victims of human trafficking are suffering and how they are often used as sex workers.
During Operation Fall Haul 2 they encountered two human trafficking victims along with five other possible victims. Judd said there could be more among the people who were arrested for prostitution, but they must come forward.
Another woman in police custody was 10 weeks pregnant. She had been given drugs and fentanyl in an attempt to miscarry the unborn child. While in custody she received a text message warning her to leave Polk County because of their reputation for leading successful sting operations.
One More Child, Heartland for Children, My Name My Voice, and the Children’s Home Society of Florida worked with the sheriff’s office to provide support for victims.
“From the moment they come into the operation, we want to immediately hand them off to our social service friends and our counselors so they can begin working with these victims of human trafficking,” Judd said.
Should a person arrested for prostitution come forward as a victim of human trafficking, Florida law allows law enforcement to wipe their arrest from public record, Judd said.
