A pastor from Florida who launch a church earlier in Spring was reportedly among the 125 arrested by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office 12-member squad in a human trafficking sting that lasted 20 days.
The Christian Post said the 44-year-old Pastor Samuel Phillips, Jr., who launched Be Limitless Church early this year in Riverview, was among those arrested in the human trafficking sting that lead to the rescue of a 17-year-old and four women. Besides Phillips, the 38-year-old Hillsborough school teacher Joel Velasco.
Phillips accordingly launched the church with his wife and children out of a vision he received from God in January "to advance the kingdom of God by transforming communities and bringing hope to the culture, through simplistic and practical biblical teachings that will help them discover purpose and experience the love of God in their everyday life." He also saw it, as per the website, as an "opportunity to serve" the community and areas surrounding it.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister explained during the press conference held regarding the arrests that the human trafficking operation, "Operation Round-Up," started last August 4 and ended October 13. Chronister said undercover agents particularly targeted criminals online by chatting with them in the guise of minors. The agents contacted a total 1,000 suspected criminals prior to making their arrests.
"Throughout this operation our detectives created undercover profiles online and chatted with men who believed they were speaking to minors, created false advertisements for sex, and undercover female detectives posed as streetwalkers," Chronister said.
Chronister revealed that Phillips was caught after responding "to a false ad placed on an escort website and offered to pay our undercover detective for sex." While Velasco offered $60 to their undercover agent in exchange for sex. Chronister pointed out that these men committed crimes while taking advantage of people's trust for them.
"These men who were all held to a standard of trust and respect were all arrested for soliciting another to commit prostitution," Chronister stressed.
Chronister also underscored that the arrests intend to send out a message that traffickers have no place in their county.
"Individuals who make a conscious choice and effort to take advantage of others through human trafficking have no room in Hillsborough County. Our approach and efforts year-round are proactive and relentless. Our strong team of detectives will continue to work tirelessly to takedown and put a stop to human trafficking," Chronister highlighted.
As of this time, no response has been given yet by the Be Limitless Church regarding their pastor's arrest following requests for comment by The Christian Post. The church's Facebook and Instagram account have been disabled as of this time.
Connie Rose, a human trafficking survivor in the 1970s, reacted to reports on the arrests and expressed dismay in an interview with Fox 13 Tampa Bay that Phillips and Velasco were among them. Rose, who currently operates Victims2Survivors, was trafficked by her own father. She also expressed appreciation for the county's efforts and the message it conveys to traffickers.
"You're setting this incredible message about, don't buy (sex) in Tampa. We are very serious about eradicating human trafficking in our own backyard and these sting operations, the way that he runs them with his teams, are absolutely phenomenal," Rose said.
"What really took me back on this particular one (sting) is that there was a teacher and a pastor. And that these are people that our children look up to," she added.
