OAN's Avril Elfie
12:22 PM – Thursday, January 11, 2024
More than 120 men have been arrested in a human trafficking case in Florida, including an elementary school teacher, authorities said.
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On Thursday, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said that among the most concerning people captured in the operation were a teacher who worked at James Elementary School, a nurse at a mental health hospital, a basketball coach at Wesley Chapel; It was announced that “employed men'' were included. By spiritual organization. ”
“We targeted this crime with a multi-pronged approach, including conducting undercover searches of street pedestrians, hotels and motels, and online chats. They were selling children for sex under the guise of someone else,” Chronister said.
Detectives contacted James Villacorteza, 28, a former science teacher at James Elementary School, after posing as a child or teen on an online platform, the sheriff's office said.
Villacorteza is currently facing multiple charges of soliciting sexual acts from a minor and traveling to meet a minor for sexual purposes.
Police claimed the operation had shown “significant effectiveness in combating the insidious crime of human trafficking”.
“This operation resulted in the arrest of several individuals, including 39-year-old Zheng Dong. Dong was previously arrested in May 2022 on human trafficking-related charges,” the sheriff's office said in a news release. “These 123 arrests are more than just a statistic. They represent our determination to protect the innocent and our relentless efforts to protect the most vulnerable in our communities. I am.”
In addition, Chronister said another factor that alarmed officers was the illegal possession of firearms by some of those arrested.
“As if the sexual exploitation wasn't bad enough, no one knows the true intent of the firearms they had,” Chronister said. “Why do you need a gun to have sex with a child? What were their real intentions? That’s something to be concerned about.”
Chronister urged Floridians to remain vigilant against child predators and to report suspected human trafficking activity.
If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, assistance is available 24 hours a day through: National Human Trafficking Hotline in 888-373-7888.
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