Law enforcement officers arrested 281 people during a seven-day human trafficking and child sexual predators enforcement operation in Polk County, Florida. Of those arrested, 17 were employees of Disney World and Universal Studios and 31 persons had traveled to the county intending to meet a child for unlawful sexual activity.

Undercover operations used to identify suspected child predators

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office led the operation alongside partner agencies, focusing on people suspected of targeting children and traveling to meet them for unlawful sexual activity. Of the theme park employees arrested, thirteen worked for Disney and four for Universal Studios. Those arrested also included a youth sports coach and an active-duty member of the US Navy.

At a press conference on Friday, Sheriff Grady Judd defended the use of undercover operations to identify suspected predators. He told CBS News:

“It is extremely disturbing when we encounter nasty child predators like these who are very eager to have sex with children. This is why we conduct these types of undercover operations.”

The sports coach that was a caught in the sting works with the Davenport Titans, a Florida youth sports team for children aged 11 to 14, and allegedly believed he was traveling to meet a 14-year-old girl. Detectives also arrested a former Disney employee who had worked as a Mickey Mouse character and found him carrying two backpacks full of diapers. Another Disney employee allegedly travelled to meet an undercover detective posing as a 13-year-old boy, with his work uniform in his car.

Disney cooperated with law enforcement and fired all the employees arrested.

Protecting children from sexual exploitation

The case shows the risks children face when adults exploit positions of trust or access to them. Children rely on coaches and other adults in youth activities for supervision and protection, which makes the alleged involvement of a youth sports coach especially serious.

Under US federal law, a commercial sex act involving a person under 18 can constitute sex trafficking even without force, fraud or coercion. The law recognizes that children cannot consent to commercial sexual exploitation.

Preventing child sexual exploitation takes more than catching suspects at an arranged meeting. It depends on effective safeguarding, accountability and systems that make it harder for adults to exploit children’s trust and vulnerability.

Freedom United continues to call for stronger protections against human trafficking and sexual exploitation, including measures that address the conditions that allow exploitation to take place.