Nearly a dozen men were arrested on charges of soliciting sex from prostitutes after a two-day sting that was part of a multi-agency operation to fight sex trafficking.
The Denton County Sheriff’s Office announced on Friday that 11 suspects — Rajeev Turner, Jorge Fernandez, Lontel Johnson, Michael Ramos, Adebayo Adetolu, Kenneth Swick, Ruben Calderon, Stevie Lamb Jr., Barry Whatley, Dennis Fontana, and Jose Zambrano — are in legal trouble after allegedly attempting to solicit sex online from investigators posing as prostitutes earlier this month.
Together with personnel from the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Arlington Police Department, deputies apprehended these men — all of whom were from Denton County, except one from Wise County — at arranged meeting locations.
While the first day of the law enforcement operation targeted sex buyers, the second day aimed at victim outreach. Specialized nonprofits, such as Refuge for Women, Unbound Now, Bob’s House of Hope, and Kainos International, offered their support.
Investigators posed as sex buyers online and questioned those who offered commercial sex services when they arrived at the arranged meeting sites. Through this initiative, a dozen potential victims of human trafficking were identified and given help.
Law enforcement operations have increasingly shone the spotlight on the perpetrators of illicit commercial sex operations in North Texas this year.
For instance, a large-scale sex trafficking ring was busted up this month in Plano, as previously covered by The Dallas Express. Its alleged ringleader, William McKinnley Garland, recently pled not guilty in federal court to charges of sex trafficking, coercion and enticement, and other crimes. If found guilty, he could face life in prison.
In Dallas, there has been a slight rise in human trafficking offenses logged by the authorities this year, while prostitution-related crimes have soared. In terms of the former, 54 offenses were clocked as of December 21 for a year-over-year increase of 5.9%, according to the City’s crime analytics dashboard. Prostitution offenses have grown 99% over the same time frame, with 569 reports logged.
Such criminal activity has been stretching the already limited resources of the Dallas Police Department. Only about 3,000 officers are employed by DPD despite a City report recommending 4,000.
The effects of this shortfall are most apparent in Downtown Dallas, which has become a considerable hot spot for both violent and property crimes. When compared to neighboring Fort Worth’s city center, which is patrolled by a specialized neighborhood police unit and private security guards, Downtown Dallas logs considerably higher rates of motor vehicle theft, assault, drug crimes, and more.