Polk human trafficking sting nets 281 arrests

Undercover crackdown on human trafficking and child exploitation in central Florida leads to nearly 300 arrests. Authorities say the suspects include theme park workers, a youth sports coach, and a law enforcement officer. Fox 13's Carla Byron has the disturbing details from this week-long operation. The multi-agency operation pulled in suspects who were in positions of public trust, including one who was the head coach of a youth football league in Davenport. The Polk County Sheriff's Office, alongside federal, state, and local partners, arrested 281 suspects during the operation. Investigators say 31 of those individuals were arrested as child sexual predators, including Rashawn Creighton, who was the head coach of the Davenport Titans. Then there's Adam Snyder, who Sheriff Grady-John says worked for Disney. You can't believe this. There's an ice cream truck coming by as we arrest him. Let's go, sure, sure, sure, sure. I don't think Adam ordered that, and we certainly didn't order it, but it was apropos. More than 230 others were arrested for the solicitation of prostitution, prostitution, and trafficking charges. Among those arrested was an Orange County Deputy Sheriff Eric Raymond, a school resource officer who the sheriff says showed up in Polk County to have sex with a prostitute. Sheriff, are you really going to put my picture up there? Here's your sign. I told him, oh yeah, we're going to air you out. Because you see, you're a law enforcement officer and people expect more of you. Along with the arrests, authorities say they successfully identified 11 victims of human trafficking. Those victims were screened and are now being offered support services through the Florida Department of Children and Families and the non-profit group One More Child. State Attorney General James Uthmeyer says many of the suspects are repeat offenders and he'll be prosecuting each case to the fullest extent of the law. In Polk County, Carla Byron, Fox 13 News. Fox 13 news.