The Denton County Sheriff nabbed three – including an alleged pedophile – in an anti-prostitution mission.
Deputies conducted a “Prostitution Demand Suppression Operation” in Denton on May 29, according to a release from the sheriff’s office. They arrested John Kolby Holland for online solicitation of a minor, and Patrick Daniel Smith and Nicholas Matt for soliciting prostitution. Matt faced an additional charge of unlawful carrying of a weapon.
“This operation aimed to reduce prostitution in our community by arresting individuals attempting to purchase sexual favors for money,” reads the release from the sheriff’s office.
Holland’s bond was $25,000, Smith’s bond was $1,000, and Matt’s bond was $1,000 for solicitation and $2,500 for the weapons charge, according to jail records. All three were booked on May 29 but were released as they posted bond the next day.
During the investigation, deputies found “leads on other persons engaging in Prostitution,” according to the release. The sheriff’s Human Trafficking Unit is following up on these leads.
Dallas saw a surge in sex trafficking and prostitution in 2024, as The Dallas Express previously reported. The city is also home to hundreds of “escort sites,” illicit massage businesses, and brothels. Northwest Dallas – District 6 in particular – has historically been the site of many such criminal activities. Earlier this year, a 13-year-old was forced into prostitution off Harry Hines Blvd.
These explicit activities have also spread beyond Dallas. Last year, the City of Plano sued the Red Rose Spa, alleging it was a front for “illicit activities, criminal conduct, and lewd behavior,” as The Dallas Express reported at the time. The city claimed the business was “advertising the sale of young girls, attracting deviant clientele, and placing the community in danger.” Just weeks earlier, another Plano massage parlor closed down after allegations it was offering prostitution.