Over the course of seven days in Polk County, dozens of undercover detectives posed as minors and commercial sex workers in a large-scale digital operation that resulted in the arrest of 281 suspects from across the country and around the world.
The individuals arrived expecting illicit encounters. Instead, they were met directly by waiting law enforcement officers.
State and local authorities announced the results of the coordinated sweep, titled “Operation Polk Around & Find Out II,” disclosing 488 new criminal charges, 198 of which were felonies.
The operation ran two simultaneous undercover efforts. The first targeted online predators who traveled with the intent to meet individuals they believed were children, resulting in 32 arrests. The second focused on commercial human trafficking and street-level prostitution, netting 249 additional individuals , 117 accused buyers and 122 facing prostitution charges.
“Predators who target Florida’s children will be hunted down and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said. “Those who came to Polk County expecting to sexually abuse a child found cuffs instead. Thank you to our law enforcement partners and prosecutors who put the time into this operation and put these predators behind bars where they belong.”
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd addressed the nature of the digital exchanges that detectives monitored in the lead-up to the arrests.
“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.”
The criminal histories of those booked into the county jail revealed a troubling pattern. Collectively, the 281 suspects carried a combined record of 798 prior criminal charges, including 358 felonies. Nine were already serving probation terms for offenses ranging from bank robbery to child cruelty. An additional nine had previously been caught in undercover operations conducted by the sheriff’s office, with two having been apprehended in the original “Polk Around & Find Out” operation earlier in the year.
The sting operations presented genuine physical danger to the undercover teams involved. Suspects brought 24 firearms to the planned meeting locations, and 32 individuals faced drug charges after officers recovered methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl.
The geographic scope of the operation extended well beyond Central Florida. Only 40 of those arrested actually resided in Polk County. The remaining suspects crossed county, state, and international borders to reach the location, traveling from across Florida, 20 different U.S. states, and 18 foreign nations. Among those booked were 17 employees of local theme parks.
Immigration status also emerged as a significant factor in the arrests. Authorities identified 32 suspects as undocumented immigrants from Cuba, Venezuela, Mexico, and Haiti. Sixteen of those individuals were transferred directly into the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Under Florida Statute 847.0135(4), traveling to meet a minor for unlawful sexual conduct constitutes a second-degree felony carrying a potential sentence of up to 15 years in state prison.
Executing the seven-day operation required a broad network of municipal, county, state, and federal personnel. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office collaborated with police departments from Auburndale, Bartow, Davenport, Lake City, Lake Wales, and Lakeland, as well as sheriff’s deputies from Columbia, Hardee, Hillsborough, Marion, and Osceola counties.
State and federal support was provided by the Florida Department of Financial Services, the Office of Statewide Prosecution, the 10th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office, ICE, the U.S. Secret Service, and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division. Two advocacy organizations, One More Child and the Florida Department of Children and Families, maintained an on-site presence to deliver immediate victim crisis care.
State officials noted that since Attorney General Uthmeier assumed office in February 2025, law enforcement operations across Florida have led to the arrest of more than 2,300 child predators.
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