108 arrested in human trafficking sting including Disney employees and a former judge         

by mcardinal

Matt Bush, FISM News

 

Police in Florida arrested 108 people including alleged child sexual predators, human traffickers, and those seeking prostitutes. Four Disney employees and a retired judge were among the 108 people arrested.

The undercover operation, which they called “Operation March Sadness 2,” began on March 8 and lasted six days. CBS News reported on the events leading up to the arrest, saying, “Detectives found prostitutes who had posted online advertisements through various websites and social media platforms to identify people who were seeking them out. They also identified adults who they thought were inappropriately communicating with children. Undercover detectives then communicated online with these suspects before meeting them at a location and arresting them.”

The operation was a joint effort between the Polk County Sheriff’s Office with the help of nonprofit and law enforcement partners. All 108 of those arrested have been charged with sex-related offenses including human trafficking, child predation, and prostitution.

Yesterday, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd held a press conference announcing the arrests while highlighting some of the offenders that stood out to him, including the judge and Disney employees.

The most notable of the 108 arrested was retired Cook County, Illinois fourth sub circuit court judge Daniel Peters. According to Judd, Peters also served as director of professional regulations for the Cook County Sheriff’s Office. Peters was arrested for allegedly soliciting a prostitute.

All four of the Disney employees were mentioned by Judd during the press conference. Xavier Jackson, a 27-year-old lifeguard at Disney’s Polynesian Resort, allegedly sent inappropriate photos of himself to a detective posing as a 14-year-old girl and is charged with three counts of sending harmful material to a minor and one count of unlawful communication. The three other employees were each allegedly attempting to solicit a prostitute. 

The name of the operation was in a play on the NCAA basketball tournament moniker. Each may fans across the country fill out brackets of the basketball tournament in an attempt to pick the winner of each game. At the press conference, Judd said, “We have our own bracket. But instead of brackets of winners, we have brackets of losers.”

Judd closed the press conference warning like-minded criminals that his office will continue to arrest those who violate these and any other law. Judd ended his press conference by expressing surprise that criminals do not learn their lesson.

What amazes me is we could do another operation starting next week and fill this board up again. And be sure of one thing: These chiefs and I will do just that. We’ll be back and if you violate the law, we’re going to take you to jail. That’s a guarantee.

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