Scottsdale Chief of Police Jeff Walther | Scottsdale Police Department
Scottsdale Chief of Police Jeff Walther | Scottsdale Police Department
The Scottsdale Police Department has announced its involvement in a successful human trafficking bust, which resulted in the arrest of over 150 individuals within a twelve-day span.
According to a press release from the Scottsdale Police, those arrested face charges including child sex trafficking, prostitution, pandering, luring a minor for sexual exploitation purposes, attempted sexual conduct with a minor, drug possession, among others. The operation led to 37 felony charges and 121 misdemeanor charges.
From Jan. 23 to Feb. 10, the Scottsdale Police Human Exploitation and Trafficking Unit (HEAT) conducted a proactive operation aimed at arresting individuals involved in the sex trade and trafficking. The press release stated that although decoy-based tactics were used targeting child predators, no children were directly involved in these efforts.
Besides the Scottsdale Police Department, other law enforcement agencies participating in this operation included Phoenix Police, Goodyear Police, Avondale Police, Mesa Police, Buckeye Police, Surprise Police and the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office.
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