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The Florida Sheriff’s Office arrested more than 200 people, including a teacher and three Disney employees, during a week-long human trafficking operation.
Polk County authorities said they successfully arrested 219 people during the operation, dubbed “Traffic Stop 2.”
Sheriff Grady Judd announced the results of the operation at a press conference, saying 83 suspects had been arrested for soliciting a prostitute.
The investigation identified 21 possible victims of human trafficking out of the 119 prostitutes also arrested.
Two people, Maria Guzman, 36, and Freddy Escalona, 30, were arrested on charges of human trafficking and proceeds of prostitution.
Sheriff Grady Judd, pictured here, announced the results of the operation at a press conference, saying 83 suspects had been arrested for soliciting a prostitute.
Maria Guzman, left, and Freddy Escalona, right, were arrested on charges of human trafficking and proceeds of prostitution.
Escalona allegedly forced a woman into prostitution after she lent him $2,200 to repair his vehicle and was unable to pay it back.
Police said he drove the victim to an undisclosed location and was taken into custody after he told officers he had “several” women working for him.
Authorities said he forced the woman to continue prostitution long after her debt was paid.
Guzman allegedly arranged dates for two young women she was prostituting and took between sixty and seventy percent of the money.
According to Sheriff Judd, Guzman met two women online and convinced them to leave Minnesota for Orlando to work in construction.
Judd said: “She didn’t define what construction meant. They were going to arrange sexual encounters.
Others arrested included Russell Rogers of Winter Haven, Florida, who was accused of negotiating to have sex with a prostitute.
Rogers, married with three children, is also the athletic director at Vanguard School and a teacher at Auburndale High School.
Married teacher Russell Rogers allegedly negotiated unprotected sex with a prostitute.
Sheriff Judd said: “He came to have sex. We arrested him, he’s in custody, and he’s like, “Hey guys, you need to hurry.”
“And here we go, why? He said “it’s my wife and my daughter, they’re arriving at the Orlando airport, I have to go pick them up.”
“We said, ‘Hey coach, you missed this one, because you’re going to be in jail.’
Sheriff Judd said Rogers asked officers to hurry so he could pick up his wife and daughter from the airport.
In a statement to Fox13Polk County Schools said, “We are disappointed to learn that one of our employees was engaging in this type of behavior.
“These accusations do not involve students and Rogers was not on duty as a teacher, but this type of conduct still has no place in our school system.”
Sheriff Judd added that he also negotiated to have sex with a woman without using protection.
Judd finished: “I can’t believe we would want someone like that around our kids.”
Meanwhile, three Disney employees, Kenneth Green, Marquis Nixon and Carlos Ro, were also arrested in the operation for soliciting prostitutes.
Judd said, “What would an operation be if we didn’t arrest someone who was employed by Disney.”
According to police, Green works as a training coordinator, while Nixon works as security and Ro as a guard.
From left: Kenneth Green, Marquis Nixon and Carlos Ro were also arrested in the operation for soliciting prostitutes
Police say Carlos Ro worked as a guard for Disney
Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando
One of the arrested suspects also told detectives he left his daughter home alone with the family dog so he could meet a prostitute.
Sheriff Judd joked, “We questioned the dog and the dog said woof. I guess that means yes in dog language.
35 of those arrested are suspected of having stayed in the country illegally and of coming from countries such as Cuba, Chile, Venezuela, Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia or the Bahamas.
41 suspects also told detectives they were married, 13 said they received government assistance and 42 brought illegal drugs to the scene.
In total, detectives charged 44 felonies and 242 misdemeanors during the investigation.
Sheriff Judd added: “Not only did we arrest more suspects in this single operation than we have ever arrested before, but we identified 21 victims of human trafficking; during a similar operation in February, we identified 24 victims.
“That makes 45 victims that we have been able to identify this year. The valuable relationships we maintain with the social organizations that join us in these operations allow these women to obtain help and emancipate themselves from this lifestyle.