Thirteen men were arrested in an undercover sting, with 10 charged with soliciting for prostitution, Polk County deputies said.
Acting on information regarding possible solicitation activity in the Inwood and Lake Ida areas of Polk County, undercover detectives conducted the sting operation earlier this week.
Deputies say, of the men who were soliciting females for sex, nine arrested during the operation were married. One of those arrested was to report to jail Friday.
Kevin Hobby, 21, of Tiger Road, Winter Haven was charged with ‘Driving While License was Suspended or Revoked’ and possession of cocaine.
Hobby was driving 22-year-old Furious Shell of Haines City, when Furious solicited an undercover female detective for sex in exchange for $30. Detectives found Hobby wearing a GPS monitoring device. He had been arrested in July 2013 and charged with human trafficking and was sentenced two weeks ago. He was ordered to wear the monitoring device and allowed by a judge to “get his affairs in order” before reporting to prison on October 3.
Deputies say, an infant was in backseat of the vehicle with Hobby and Shell at the time. During a search of the vehicle, a pill bottle containing crack cocaine was located.
Also arrested was 31-year-old Alexis Robles, of the 4200 block of Sturgeon Drive, Sebring. Robles solicited an undercover female detective for protected sexual intercourse in exchange for $20. At the time, Robles was on duty and driving a company vehicle. He was charged with solicitation for prostitution. Robles is married.
Jeffrey Houchin, 48, of State Park Road in Lakeland, solicited a female undercover detective for oral sex in exchange for $20. Houchin is a Registered Sex Offender. Deputies say, Houchin was charged with soliciting for prostitution. Houchin is also married.
“One suspect was able to have a free ride down to the jail to report to prison. Crack cocaine was found in the car with an infant in the back seat, and one suspect celebrated his birthday by getting arrested,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. “We just can’t make this stuff up.”
