A retired judge and four Disney employees were among over a hundred arrested in a recent sex trafficking sting operation in Florida.
Polk County officials in Florida have apprehened up to 108 individuals in a recent sex trafficking sting, including four Disney employees and a retired judge. One of the suspected criminals that were uncovered during the Florida sex trafficking sting was 27 year old Xavier Jackson, who worked as a lifeguard at Walt Disney World's Polynesian Village Resort in Lake Buena Vista. He allegedly sent inappropriate messages and photos of himself to an undercover detective who he thought was a 14 year old girl.
According to Faithwire, the Disney employee was charged with three counts of transmitting harmful material to a minor and one count of unlawful communication. Other Disney employees apprehended in the Florida sex trafficking sting were 24 year old Wilkason Fidele, an employee at the Cosmic Restaurant in Walt Disney World's Tomorrowland for four years and 27 year old Shubham Malave, who has a visa citizenship from India and worked for Disney as a software developer. Also captured was 45 year old Ralph Leese, who for four years worked for Disney in IT.
"We protected some little girl someplace that was groomed or potentially groomed by these evil, deviant criminals - thugs, that's all they are," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd told CBS News in describing the four Disney employees. "They're dangerous people."
Leese, the IT employee at Disney, is married. Judd said that he was "sure Disney's not pleased" and added that he was "sure" Leese's "wife's not pleased" either. The Walt Disney Company confirmed that they had placed the three employees on unpaid leave following their arrests in the Florida sex trafficking sting. The company added that Malave is not employed by Disney.
Meanwhile, investigators also arrested a 66 year old former judge Daniel Peters and a man who wroekd at The Fun Spot, an Orlando-based amusement part. Authorities said that both men were seeking prostitutes. Another suspect captured during the Florida sex trafficking sting was James Compton of Kissimmee, who reportedly told detectives that he was married and had eight children, one of whom he left at a soccer game so he could meet up with a prostitute.
"The arrests of a human trafficker and four child predators alone makes this whole operation worthwhile," Judd said on Wednesday. "Where there is prostitution, there is exploitation, disease, dysfunction and broken families."
Tagged "Operation March Sadness 2," the Florida sex trafficking sting found prostitutes who posted online advertisements on websites and social media platforms to identify those who sought them. Detectives identified several adults who they believed were inappropriately communicating with minors.
Undercover detectives then posed as the women or minors to communicate with the suspects online before meeting with them at a location and then arresting them. Anti-trafficking organizations also assisted with the Florida sex trafficking sting, providing support for prostitutes and offering them services and counseling.
Judd promsied that his office will continue the crackdown on sex traffickers in the county. He vowed, "We'll be back and if you violate the law, we're going to take you to jail. That's a guarantee."
