Polk County prostitution bust targets online escorts

BARTOW, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Detectives with the Polk County Sheriff's Office arrested 60 alleged prostitutes, pimps and johns during a week-long under cover bust.

The Sheriff targeted the well organized online escort services that operate outside Polk County. Sheriff Grady Judd says it's his goal to keep a wholesome and safe community. "We've run them out of this county, but they still do business in this county every opportunity they're given."

The sting, dubbed "Operation Curtain Call" used undercover deputies to negotiate with the escorts online and over the phone to perform sex acts in exchange for cash. The suspects then traveled to an undercover house somewhere in the county where they charged anywhere from $50 to $700.

Some of the suspects are known gang members, others have violent criminal histories and multiple prostitution arrests from all over the country. One man arrested is a school bus driver for Pasco County near Tampa. Another is an audio technician at Disney.

Detectives also arrested what they thought was a 19 year old that turned out to be a 15 year old runaway from Chicago. She was accompanied to the house be her alleged pimp and gang member boyfriend and her two month old baby boy. They waited outside in a car while she went inside. "This is just a snap shot of what we're dealing with. For those that say it's only prostitution, this baby was exposed to that conduct," said Judd.

The sheriff says Polk County is the envy of other communities with one of the lowest crime rates in the country. Judd thinks similar crackdowns in the last couple years have gotten the message out to the bad guys to stay away. "In fact, we had several of them say 'oh, that location? that's Polk County. We're not coming to Polk County'. So yes, some have the message."

Crime statistics from 2010 show Polk County has the lowest crime rates since they started keeping records 39 years ago. The county had a record low 2.965 crimes per 100 residents, compared to 4.398 per 100 in the state of Florida.