JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A recent Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office sting operation on Philips Highway resulted in the arrest of 10 men for soliciting sex from undercover officers posing as sex workers.
Citizen complaints about ongoing illegal activity prompted the operation on Philips Highway.
Retired JSO Director of Investigations and News4JAX Crime & Safety Analyst Tom Hackney explained that sex workers and sex trafficking along Philips Highway have been longstanding issues.
“It’s some of the areas that don’t have the best surroundings that tend to draw this,” Hackney said, noting that while newer developments have cleaned up parts of the highway, older sections still face challenges.
During the operation, officers saw suspects repeatedly circling the block before approaching what they thought were sex workers.
“Ten times later in the day, somebody’s going to jail,” Hackney said.
Advocates stress that these stings also shed light on the exploitation of vulnerable individuals who are often coerced into sex work.
Stephanie Patton, a sex trafficking survivor and advocate, explained that many sex workers are struggling with financial hardship, mental health challenges, homelessness, or hunger, making them easy targets for exploitation.
“You’re in danger every day. You’re in fear for your life, your family’s life, or being homeless,” Patton said. Handlers or pimps exploit these vulnerabilities to recruit individuals, offering false promises of belonging or support.
Patton said people who act as handlers or pimps know how to recruit sex workers to work the street.
“You identify a vulnerability, and that vulnerability can be the need to belong. It can be somebody who feels completely separated from society and they just need a friend,” Patton said.
JSO encourages anyone who may be a victim of sex trafficking or knows someone in need of assistance to seek help.
The National Human Trafficking Hotline operates 24/7 and can be reached at 888-373-7888. Local law enforcement, such as JSO, can also connect survivors with organizations dedicated to providing support and resources.