Lake Elsinore Station Special Enforcement Team conducted a prostitution sting to reduce demand for sex trafficking within Riverside county. (Photo Cred: Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station Photo)
On June 12, 2024, about 15 suspects were arrested for prostitution related cases following a sting operation conducted by the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station Special Enforcement Team in order to decrease the likelihood of sex-trafficking within Riverside County.
The Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force (RCAHT) along with Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station Special Enforcement Team, arrested a total of 15 suspects in relation to prostitution related cases ranging from the ages from 23-70 years old. These individuals resided in different cities within the Hemet, Riverside, Corona, and Temecula areas. Prostitution is an ever growing form of sex-trafficking that has spiked within the last few years in the Inland Empire. In most cases, traffickers’ target audience are those involved in prostitution. Prostitution exposes the act of coercion and control. By coercion and control, victims might be lured with false promises of legitimate work, only to find themselves trapped in the sex industry. Sex-traffickers also maintain control through physical violence, and psychological manipulation. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children estimates that one in six endangered runaways reported are likely victims of sex trafficking. Sex trafficking victims are often subjected not only to severe forms of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse at the hands of their trafficker, but are also physically and sexually assaulted by those that solicit them for prostitution. The Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station Special Enforcement Team along with the Riverside County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force (RCAHT) are working hard to create new sting operations in order to disrupt and dismantle new or ongoing sex-trafficking rings within the area. Lake Elsinore Station deputies are also proactively working to reduce demand for sex trafficking by identifying and arresting sex buyers.
