"John" Sting Yields More Than 200 Arrests

CHICAGO, Feb. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- More than 200 men across the country were arrested during the "National Day of Johns Arrests" campaign, Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart announced today.

More than 20 law enforcement agencies nationwide participated in this sting that is coordinated by the Cook County Sheriff's Office.

Stings were conducted on the streets, in hotels, brothels and via the Internet. The goal of the stings is to reduce demand of commercial sexual exploitation.

Results of the Super Bowl 2013 Operation:

• 213 men across the county arrested for soliciting sex
  • 13 Pimps/panderers arrested
  • 245 Civil citations/misdemeanor arrests (includes prostitution)
  • 109 Vehicle tows/seizure
  • 4 Possession/delivery of drugs arrests/charges
    • Includes trafficking of methamphetamine
  • 2 Weapons charges
  • 22 Warrant/Arrests or Served
  • $2,604.00 Seized
  • 55 Victims rescued (4 minors of domestic sex trafficking)
  • 11 Additional felony charges include:
    • 1 Aggravated battery on police officer Charge
    • 1 Obstructing police officer charge
    • 1 Obstructing identification charge
    • 1 Open and gross Lewdness
• 308 Total charges
• $91,296.00 Minimum potential fines and penalties

A total of 1,147 sex buyers have been arrested in five national sweeps. The sweeps are part of an ongoing effort to highlight the role of sex buyers as perpetrators.

Cook County Sheriff's Police have arrested 41 johns in this recent operation and 43 victims who were prostituted/trafficked during the sweep were offered rescue and restore services by the Cook County Sheriff's Human Trafficking Response Team (HTRT).

The HTRT is comprised of survivors of prostitution who work closely with the Cook County Sheriff's Police Officers trained to identify victims that have been led into prostitution out of desperation and survival. Victims are offered services and safe housing opportunities to assist them in leaving their current situation.

Other participating law enforcement agencies include:

1. F.B.I. Chicago Division - Orland Park Office (Illinois)
2. Aurora Police Department (Illinois)
3. Elgin Police Department (Illinois)
4. Kane County Sheriff's Office (Illinois)
5. Indianapolis Metro Police Department (Indiana)
6. Gary Police Department (Indiana)
7. Boston Police Department (Massachusetts)
8. Los Angeles Police Department (California)
9. Phoenix Police Department (Arizona)
10. Las Vegas Police Department (Nevada)
11. Newport News Police Department (Virginia)
12. Cincinnati Police Department (Ohio)
13. Dayton Police Department (Ohio)
14. Denver Police Department (Colorado)
15. Nashville Metro Police Department (Tennessee)
16. Seattle Police Department (Washington)
17. Harris County Sheriff's Office (Texas)
18. Harris County Constable Precinct 4 (Texas)
19. Pittsburgh Police Department (Pennsylvania)
20. F.B.I. and other federal agencies in collaboration with counties and municipalities

Charges include sex trafficking which resulted in the recovery of seven (7) adult victims and four (4) minor victims of domestic sex trafficking by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, which also arrested 36 johns.

"We were very busy," said Lt. Karen Hughes, LVPD, Vice Section. "One point to note for our jurisdiction (which may not be the same for others)… We have started to see that the risk of being caught in these reverse stings has finally started to become a reality for these 'johns.'  These operations used to be like a 'drive through flesh market'…this is no longer the case. Now these men are using screening tactics and other online web services to detect whether the UC operative is a cop or not….so although they have become smarter (so to speak) to avoid arrest, this also tells me that those who partake in the 'demand' for prostitution, now know operations like these pose a real risk for their arrest…I would guess this is not just unique to Vegas."

Phoenix PD took down 7 Pimps/Panderers and a house of prostitution, all class 5 felonies in addition to 12 johns arrests.

The newest agency to join this growing national effort is the Pittsburgh, Penn., Police Department, which arrested 14 johns.

Additional information, including a summary of all data collected as a result of this collaborative sting operation, will be available by the end of the week on the Cook County Sheriff (www.cookcountysheriff.org) and Demand Abolition (www.demandabolition.org) websites.

For further questions, a list of public information officers from participating jurisdictions has been provided:

• Frank Bilecki, Director of Communications,  Cook County, IL Sheriff's Office
• Sue Olafson, Public Information Officer, Elgin, IL Police Dept.
• Dan Ferrelli, Public Information Officer, Aurora, IL Police Dept.
• Lou Thurston, Public Information Officer, Newport News, VA Police Dept.
• Danita Kilgore, Public Information Officer, Cincinnati, OH Police Dept.
• Officer Bill Cassell, Public Information Officer, Las Vegas, NV Metro Police Dept.
• Commander Andrew Smith, Public Information Officer, Los Angeles CA Police Dept.
• Sgt. Steve Martos, Public Information Officer, Phoenix, AZ Police Dept.
• Cheryl Fiandaca, Public Information Office, Boston, MA Police Dept.
• Detective Cayce Cantrell, Public Information Officer, Dayton OH Police Dept.
• Sgt. Linda Jackson, Public Information Officer, Indianapolis, IN Police Dept.
• Don Aaron, Public Information Officer, Nashville, TN Metro Police Dept.
• Sonny Jackson, Public Information Officer, Denver, CO Police Dept.
• Kimberly Mills, Public Information Officer, Seattle, WA Police Dept.
• Corporal Gabrielle King, Public Information Officer, Gary, IN Police Dept.
• Christina Garza, Public Information Officer,  Harris County, TX Sheriff's Office
• Chief Jim Sumner, Public Information Officer,  Harris County, TX Constable Precinct
• Diane Richards, Public Information Officer Pittsburgh, PA Police Dept.
• Brittany Santoro, Public Information Officer,  Demand Abolition Campaign

SOURCE Cook County Sheriff's Office