TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Authorities in Florida say they’ve arrested 85 people in a months-long, human trafficking sting.
The Tampa Bay Times reports that Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister announced the arrests Monday.
Officials say “Operation Trade Secrets” began at the beginning of the year, focusing on hotels, motels, spas, massage parlors, strip clubs, adult bookstores and other activities.
Chronister says one of the people arrested was a sex trafficker, while others face charges such as prostitution, child pornography and voyeurism.
Florida had the third-most calls last year to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
Human trafficking is a particular concern for Tampa, which will host the Super Bowl in 2021. The FBI netted 169 arrests in a sex trafficking sting around Atlanta during this year’s NFL championship game.
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