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Polk County undercover sting nets 281 arrests
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd gives an update on an undercover human trafficking and child predator sting that netted over 200 arrests, including Disney employees.
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - A massive, multi-agency undercover operation in Polk County led to the arrest of 281 people facing nearly 500 new criminal charges targeting online child predators and human trafficking operations.
Polk County undercover operation
What we know:
Detectives wrapped up a seven-day operation called Operation Polk Around & Find Out II, running dual undercover investigations at the same time. The first sting targeted adults attempting to travel to meet minors for sexual activity, resulting in 32 arrests.
The second sting targeted human trafficking networks, capturing 249 additional people, including 117 accused sex buyers and 122 individuals accused of prostitution. In total, the 281 suspects face 488 new charges, including 198 felonies and 290 misdemeanors, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
Staggering criminal histories
By the numbers:
Officials said those arrested brought a combined history of 798 prior criminal charges, including 358 previous felonies. Nine people were actively serving probation for offenses including bank robbery and child cruelty, while nine had been caught in prior sheriff’s office stings.
Detectives seized 24 firearms during the operation and filed drug possession charges against 32 suspects for substances including methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl. Records show 22 suspects collectively receive $8,373 each month in public assistance, totaling $100,476 annually.
Suspects travel into county
Local perspective:
According to investigators, only 40 of the 281 suspects live in Polk County, with the remaining individuals traveling from across Florida, 20 other states and 18 foreign countries. Among those booked were 17 theme park workers from Walt Disney World and Universal Studios, including seven accused child sex predators.
Authorities confirmed 32 people arrested are undocumented immigrants from nine nations, including Cuba, Venezuela, Mexico and Haiti. Immigration officials have taken custody of 16 individuals so far.
Leaders vow strict penalties
What they're saying:
Sheriff Grady Judd said Disney fired the workers arrested during the sweep. Judd added that an Orange County school resource deputy, Eric Raymond, was among those arrested after arriving to negotiate sex for money.
"Predators who target Florida’s children will be hunted down and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Attorney General James Uthmeier said. "Those who came to Polk County expecting to sexually abuse a child found cuffs instead. Thanks to our law enforcement partners and prosecutors who put the time into this operation and put these predators behind bars where they belong."
"These predators are out there, online, trying to groom and violate our children," Judd said. "Last week we found and charged 31 child sex predators. The things that these predators say to children are vile, disgusting, and not fit for anyone except trained detectives to read. And even seasoned, trained detectives are repulsed. These predators need to be locked up and stay locked up and away from children. I ask parents to please be involved with their children and monitor their online activity. We cannot prevent predators from reaching out to our children, but we can educate our children and be proactive in catching a predator before they are able to groom or violate our kids."
"These 280-plus deviants thought they were going to find a victim. They thought they were going to find a prostitute, a victim of trafficking. They thought they were going to find little boys and girls and, thanks be to God, in this case, they found handcuffs, they found a detective on the other side, they found the back, cold, dark corner of a jail cell," Uthmeier said.
"When you go online seeking the services of a prostitute or wanting to attack our children, we are going to be there," Judd stated. He also described the arrest of a 54-year-old woman who arrived to offer sex for $300 an hour after her adult son drove her to the undercover location, resulting in the arrest of both individuals.
"What do you do when you drive your mom to a house to have sex? Do you say, ‘Go mom! Make it quick. Get a tip. Make it quick, we got another stop to make,’" Judd said.
Judd noted that one man, who claimed he formerly worked as a Mickey Mouse character at Disney World, arrived carrying two backpacks filled with diapers. The sheriff stated that the man told detectives, "I like to be kinky and naughty, and we can be kinky and naughty together."
"It is extremely disturbing when we encounter nasty child predators like these, who are very eager to have sex with children. This is why we conduct these types of undercover operations. During this investigation, we arrested 7 predators who work at local theme parks, and a children’s football and cheerleading coach. This is why it’s critically important that parents continually monitor not only their children’s online activities, but also to know who the adults are in your children’s lives. Keeping children safe is our number one priority, and we appreciate our partnering agencies, without whom we would not be as successful in apprehending these dangerous offenders," Judd said.
What we don't know:
Officials have not confirmed whether any additional employers beyond Walt Disney World have taken disciplinary action against staff members arrested in the sweep.
Protecting exploited victims
Dig deeper:
Detectives partnered with social service advocates from One More Child and the Florida Department of Children and Families to evaluate the 122 individuals who traveled to commit prostitution. Specialists identified 11 human trafficking victims and offered crisis resources and direct care.
The joint effort included municipal police departments from Auburndale, Bartow, Davenport, Lake City, Lake Wales and Lakeland, alongside sheriff's offices from Columbia, Hardee, Hillsborough, Marion and Osceola counties. State and federal support came from the Florida Department of Financial Services, the Office of Statewide Prosecution, the 10th Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Felony charges moving forward
What's next:
Prosecutors have vowed to seek maximum statutory penalties against every defendant arrested in the undercover operation. Under Florida law, traveling to meet a minor for unlawful sexual activity is a second-degree felony carrying a sentence of up to 15 years in state prison.
The attorney general's office noted that more than 2,300 child predators have been arrested statewide since February 2025.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, which detailed the undercover stings during a press conference alongside Attorney General James Uthmeier, as well as the Florida Department of Children and Families.