During Operation Autumn Sweep, a five-day-long undercover human trafficking operation in Central Florida, 157 suspects were arrested.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Vice Unit, the 157 suspects arrested were involved in illegal acts related to soliciting prostitutes, offering to commit prostitution, or aiding and abetting prostitutes. Three other suspects were arrested for traveling to sexually batter juveniles.
For Operation Autumn Sweep, PCSO detectives were joined by detectives from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Auburndale Police, Clermont Police, Davenport Police, Haines City Police, Lakeland Police, Lake Wales Police, St. Cloud Police, Tampa Police, Winter Haven Police Department, and Winter Haven Fire departments. The Office of the State Attorney 10th Judicial Circuit, State Attorney Brian Haas, members from the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF), and social services organizations One More Child and Heartland for Children were also on-hand, and the Florida Human Trafficking Victims’ Fund provided assistance.
According to local law enforcement, those who traveled to commit prostitution were screened by detectives and the social services organizations to determine if they were being trafficked or exploited by others, and were offered services by the social services organizations at the operation. During this investigation, four possible human trafficking victims were identified of the 47 prostitutes who showed up to the undercover location offering to commit prostitution.
There were 96 suspects arrested for soliciting a prostitute and traveling to the undercover location to negotiate having sex in exchange for money; 14 other suspects were arrested, and of those, one was charged with human trafficking, a life felony.
Detectives charged a total of 35 felonies and 201 misdemeanors during the Central Florida investigation. The suspects’ criminal histories included a combined total of 327 felonies and 455 misdemeanors, with charges such as premeditated murder (two suspects – nolle prosequi), attempted murder, vehicular homicide, attempted murder, kidnapping, robbery, aggravated battery, and sexual assault.
“The approach of Hurricane Milton caused us to end our investigation earlier than planned, but it’s still amazing that in such a short amount of time we were able to put 157 people in jail, and three child predators,” said Sheriff Grady Judd at the time. “Sixteen percent of the suspects we arrested are here illegally, but were offered free medical, food, travel, and housing, compliments of the U.S. taxpayers – meanwhile hurricane victims are still waiting, and praying for help.”
Detectives identified and arrested one suspect for human trafficking after one of his victims arrived at the undercover location and trusted law enforcement enough to tell her story.
Here’s what law enforcement shared: 25-year-old Travis Hutchinson, from Davenport, is charged with human trafficking, forcing one to prostitute, deriving proceeds from prostitution, and battery strangulation. His victim was driven to the undercover location by a friend. The victim traveled from Colombia to Mexico, where she walked across the border and was flown to Orlando. She was told she needed to pay off her $6,000 debt to the coyote(s) who transported her to the U.S. She was then given to Hutchinson, who created all of her online ads and communicates with all the “clients” who pay her to have sex with them. The payments either go directly to Hutchinson, or if she collects the money he immediately takes it from her, and only allows her to keep a portion of it with which to pay for food and lodging. Hutchinson threatens her and physically abuses her – she had marks on her neck from recently being choked by him. He forced her into prostitution through intimidation, fear, and physical abuse, and held onto the documents she received when she arrived in the U.S. The victim was rescued during this investigation and is in the custody of social services and rescue organizations.
Some other interesting notes from Operation Autumn Sweep:
- 25 of the arrested are suspected of being in the country illegally; Those who are here illegally are from Cuba, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Venezuela.
- 26 suspects told detectives they are married.
- 9 suspects told detectives they receive government assistance.
- 10 suspects brought illegal drugs to the location: cocaine, MDMA, and marijuana.
- 10 firearms were brought to the undercover location
- 131 suspects were from outside of Polk County, including 9 states and the United Kingdom: Arkansas, California, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
- The oldest person arrested is 61 years old while the youngest is 15 years old.
Three suspects were either active duty military or veterans; three suspects worked at Disney World; three suspects were previously arrested by PCSO during similar sting operations. Several suspects left either their wives or fiancées at home – the women thought their partners were either at work, or going to a store or the gym.
Three other suspects communicated with and solicited who they thought were children online – they showed up to an undercover location in Polk County at separate times to sexually batter children. One of these suspects worked at Disney World.
