Operation Traveling Circus nets 136 arrests for sex trafficking, forced prostitution
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HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – A sex trafficking sting has led to the arrests of 138 people in Harris County.
The Houston Police Department, Harris County Sheriff's Office, Harris County District Attorney's Office and the Houston Chapter of the YMCA launched "Operation Traveling Circus," an initiative targeting sex trafficking and prostitution in the area.
From Jan. 4 through Feb. 26, vice task forces from the various agencies engaged in a multi-faceted operation to identify victims of sex trafficking and forced prostitution, arrest the consumer base of 'johns' and weed out traffickers who capitalize on the illicit sex industry in our community.
Operations were conducted at the following locations:
4300 to 5200 Telephone Road
6200 to 6400 Richmond
4700 to 5500 Westheimer
3200 to 6000 Hillcroft
7600 Katy Freeway
8800 to 9800 Airport Blvd.
9400 to 10000 Bissonnet
4000 to 4100 Airline
500 West Sam Houston Parkway East
3200 West Sam Houston Parkway South
500 Lamar
2800 to 7000 Southwest Freeway
4400 Yellowstone
8300 Gulf Freeway
2500 to 8900 Briarpark Drive
9600 to 9700 Plainfield
Service providers like the YMCA step in to provide prevention and recovery resources to victims.