A police deputy and a Disney bellhop among 160 busted in undercover sex sting in Florida

Polk County deputies and assisting agencies arrested 160 people during a week-long undercover human trafficking operation, “Operation Fall Haul 2,” in Central Florida that began on Aug. 30, Chief Grady Judd announced Friday.

The arrested included 26 married men, 15 people from outside Florida, a Disney employee, a math teacher and track coach and a deputy chief from a Georgia police department, deputies said in a news release. heir ages ranged from 19 to 64

“Where would we be with an undercover operation and no Disney employees,” cracked Judd during a press conference. “Oh yes, we always have Disney employees,” he said as he held up a photo of a 57-year-old who was arrested for soliciting a prostitute after detectives said he responded to an online escort advertisement and agreed to pay $80 for sex. Instead, the Disney bellhop at the attraction’s Coronado Springs Resort met an undercover detective.

Another was an independent photographer who is often contracted by Disney, Judd said. That man, 26, of Orlando was also arrested for soliciting a prostitute and when he arrived at the agreed-upon location he brought a bag of sour Skittles for the person he thought was a prostitute. He was mistaken.

One of those arrested on charges of soliciting a prostitute on Sept. 1, was 49-year-old Jason DiPrima of Kingston, Georgia, a deputy chief of administration for the Cartersville Police Department in Georgia. “He embarrassed himself, his organization, and his family,” Judd said at the press conference.

Judd said one of the primary goals was to arrest the johns, or pimps, who take advantage of those trapped in the world of sex for hire.

“The online prostitution industry enables traffickers and allows for the continued victimization of those who are being trafficked. Our goal is to identify victims, offer them help, and arrest those who are fueling the exploitation of human beings (Johns) and those profiting from the exploitation of human beings. Prostitution is not a victimless crime — it results in exploitation, disease, dysfunction, drug and alcohol addiction, violence, and broken families,” Judd said in a statement.

Two trafficking victims, and another five possible victims, were identified, deputies said. “All prostitutes taken into custody were offered services by the social services organizations at the operation. Follow up will be conducted with those who are suspected to be sex-trafficked or exploited,” the sheriff’s department said in its release.

Polk deputies were assisted by police departments from Winter Haven, Haines City, Lake Wales, Davenport and Bartow. The Office of the State Attorney 10th Judicial Circuit, State Attorney Brian Haas, members from the Florida Department of Children and Families and several social services organizations also participated in Fall Haul 2.

Detectives charged those arrested with a total of 52 felonies and 216 misdemeanors.

Of those arrested, most were from the Orlando area, 16 live in Polk County, and 15 were from other states and one was from Puerto Rico. The outside states were Georgia, Michigan, New York, California, Mississippi, Kentucky, North Carolina and Arizona.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Department did not say if any of those arrested were from the South Florida area and did not respond to a Miami Herald inquiry.

Detectives also seized cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, MDMA and marijuana from some of those who were arrested during the operation.