108 Arrested In Central Florida Human Trafficking Operation
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March is recognized for many things: Spring Break, St Patrick’s Day, or March Madness, but now it is also noted for Operation March Sadness 2.
That is the name of the 6-day undercover operation responsible for arresting 108 people, including 4 Disney employees and a former Illinois judge, for soliciting prostitution in Central Florida.
Polk County Sheriff’s office reported that a majority of them were charged with seeking a prostitute, while others were charged with offering to commit prostitution. The sheriff said their goal was to identify and free any victims who were being forced into human trafficking and they did discover some victims.
Related Article: Miami On High Alert For Human Trafficking
It Won’t Buy Happiness
Jeremy Wiles is the Director of the Conquer Series, a powerful cinematic study that helps men find freedom from pornography. He spoke out about another scandalous human trafficking operation that occurred in his hometown in Martin County, (Fla.).
Wiles recalled, “A few weeks ago, my wife and I were walking through the marina, just across the street from one of the parlors. She pointed up to one of the multi-million-dollar condos along the water and said, ‘That place looks eerily sad.’ I responded, ‘When I looked up there a little while ago I felt the exact same thing.’ We talked about it for a few minutes, and I mentioned that the owner of the Patriots owns that condo.
I had no idea that only a few weeks later he would be on national news, charged with soliciting sex at a massage parlor… The “word” in the community is that there are celebrities and church leaders in this area that have arrest warrants and will soon be detained. My heart goes out to their wives and families….Sin will take you further than you want to go and make you pay more than you want to pay.
How could a man worth billions, able to buy anything he wants, visit prostitutes on the weekends?
Money won’t make you happy.
Massage parlors won’t make you happy.
Porn won’t make you happy.
Looking back, I now recognize the Holy Spirit was showing me more than a gloomy and sad condo, but rather a man inside who’s lost, depressed and enslaved to sin.”
The Dark World Of Sex Trafficking
Whether these people are guilty of any crime will be decided by the legal system. But there are much deeper issues here than one man’s personal situation. Sex trafficking is more widespread than people want to believe.
Florida ranks 3rd in the country for reports of human trafficking cases, behind only to California (1st) and Texas (2nd).
According to Fox10 News, Polk County (Fla.) Sheriff Grady Judd said,
“One man hoping to hire a prostitute, was a 66-year-old retired judge.”
Sex trafficking is not just a problem in faraway countries that has little impact in America. In fact, of all the human trafficking cases reported by the National Human Trafficking Hotline in 2020, the United States ranked #1 for potential victims’ country of origin. This means that most human trafficking victims come from the United States.
The National Human Trafficking Hotline reported that sex trafficking accounted for 7,648 of the more than 10,500 reported cases of human trafficking in the United States in 2020. Pornography came in second, accounting for 939 cases.
The Link Between Sex Trafficking And Porn
And perhaps not shockingly, porn and sex trafficking around the world are very closely connected.
Related Article: This Is How Porn And Sex Trafficking Are Linked
The Family Research Council (FRC) reports the following alarming statistics:
- Across all ages and in nine different countries, 49 percent of rescued sex trafficking victims report they were forced to participate in the production of pornographic material.
- Over half of U.S. women used in commercial sexual exploitation were either in pornographic material or threatened with the possibility.
- Many of these women report that making pornography is a routine aspect of being in prostitution.
- Oftentimes women who are trafficked are forced to make hardcore pornography. This hardcore pornography is sold and distributed online.
- Further, those who are actors in pornographic material are often women who have been sex trafficked and sometimes child sex slaves.
- U.S. citizens account for 83 percent of all sex trafficking victims who have been found in this country.
- Victims of sex trafficking are subjected to physical mistreatment and are often forced to recreate pornographic scenes.
Porn Use Fuels Sex Trafficking
Sitting in front of a computer monitor is not simply harmless fun. Besides the damage being done to your own life and family, porn is a driving force behind sex slavery.
Related Article: Florida First State In the Nation to Teach K-12 Child Trafficking Prevention
The FRC noted,
“Pornography fuels the sex trafficking industry. Each click of pornography creates a demand for more pornography and brings in a profit to the industry. The demand causes traffickers, pimps, and those involved in the sex industry to abuse their victims by filming them in sex acts. Victims of sex trafficking have had to bear the trauma of sexual abuse, physical abuse, drug abuse, coercion, and oftentimes abortion. They have a long way to recovery. In short, pornography consumption is a public health crisis and creates a further demand for sexual exploitation.”
Although they probably have no idea, men and women who use porn are most likely watching adult and child victims of sex trafficking.
Related Article: Senator Asks DOJ to Investigate PornHub for Allegedly Streaming Videos of Rape Victims
Andrew David Naselli is the Assistant Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology at Bethlehem College and Seminary. He gives a strong, blunt message to porn users.
“Plant this deeply and firmly in your conscience: since pornography fuels sex slavery, indulging in pornography to any degree is participating in sex slavery. This is the case even if the porn star you lustfully look at is profiting financially from that pornography. The point is that any and all pornography is part of the worldwide system that fuels prostitution and thus fuels sex slavery… When you hear how adults are enslaving girls and young women…does that not make you feel sick to your stomach? Do you not feel outraged against people who victimize children and young women? That is exactly how you should feel about pornography.”
Related Article: Former President Trump Calls On Americans to Lead the Fight to End Human Trafficking
Make A Difference
Very few pornography users have ever given a thought to what lies behind the porn industry. Porn not only has an impact on you and your family. It is fueling demand for the young woman smuggled from her family in Vietnam. It led to the teenager who went missing from your local school. Porn is impacting thousands of lives.
Related Article: From Porn Star to Pastor: How God Rewrote Joshua Broome’s Story
Churches and individuals can help men break free from porn usage and take a stand to fight sex trafficking.
The Conquer Series is a dramatic 10-week course that has helped millions of men around the world experience a porn-free life. Action-packed military reenactments, solid Biblical preaching, and inspiring testimonies are featured.
Joshua Jorstad wrote,
“Because of the Conquer Series, I started my journey to be free from porn! I am officially a year and a half clean and have been loving the change. Ultimately, it was God who changed my heart, but your resources helped a bunch!”
Sign up for digital access today for your church or personal study.