Florida Undercover Operation Leads to 281 Arrests; Sheriff Says 11 Trafficking Victims Identified

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. | October 30, 2026. A seven-day undercover operation in Central Florida resulted in 281 arrests, including 31 cases involving people accused of attempting to arrange sexual encounters with children, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office. Investigators also reported identifying 11 people they described as human trafficking victims and offering them access to support services.

Sheriff Grady Judd announced the results Friday during a news conference about the multiagency investigation, named Operation Polk Around and Find Out II. The announcement drew national attention after authorities said some of those arrested had worked at major Orlando-area theme parks, while others included a youth sports coach and a law enforcement officer. The arrests are allegations, not findings of guilt.

What the 281 arrests actually include

The sheriff's office divided the arrests into three broad groups: 239 tied to prostitution-related offenses, 31 associated with suspected child sexual exploitation, and 11 other arrests. That breakdown matters because it would be inaccurate to describe all 281 people as accused child predators or human traffickers. Police said the operation generated 198 felony charges and 290 misdemeanor charges, a total of 488 counts across the investigation.

According to the agency, 117 people were arrested after allegedly responding to undercover prostitution advertisements and traveling to a location to negotiate paid sex. Another 122 people accused of prostitution-related activity were screened by investigators and social service organizations for signs of coercion or exploitation. Officials say 11 people were identified as trafficking victims and offered assistance. That victim count is separate from the arrest total and should not be interpreted as a count of trafficking convictions.

Allegations involving minors

In the separate child-exploitation portion of the operation, detectives posed online as minors or their guardians. Authorities allege that 31 suspects communicated with those undercover investigators about sexual activity; some then traveled to arranged meeting locations. The sheriff's office said two suspects in this group also face human trafficking charges. Whether any particular defendant committed an offense must be determined through the court process.

Investigators said a youth football and cheerleading coach and an active-duty Navy service member were among those facing child-exploitation allegations. Their professional roles are part of the sheriff's public account, but employment alone is not evidence that their organizations knew of, authorized or participated in the alleged conduct.

Theme park employees and a deputy among those arrested

The sheriff's office reported that 17 arrested people were employed at, or had ties to, major Central Florida theme parks: 13 associated with Disney properties and four with Universal. Officials said seven people facing child-exploitation allegations had current or former theme park employment. The categories should not be conflated: not every theme park-linked arrest was for an alleged crime involving a child.

An Orange County sheriff's deputy was also arrested on a misdemeanor prostitution-solicitation allegation, according to Polk County authorities. Local news outlets reported that the deputy worked as a school resource officer. The arrest does not establish guilt, and the record reviewed for this report does not independently establish the outcome of any administrative or criminal proceedings.

Multiple agencies participated

Polk County detectives worked with federal, state and neighboring law-enforcement agencies. Participating organizations identified in the sheriff's announcement included Homeland Security investigators, Florida's Office of Statewide Prosecution, the State Attorney's Office for the 10th Judicial Circuit and multiple municipal police departments and county sheriff's offices.

The operation also involved social-service screening. Officials said the people screened for possible trafficking were offered services, underscoring an important distinction: someone arrested during a prostitution operation may also be experiencing coercion or exploitation. The sheriff's figures alone do not establish how many individuals will ultimately be prosecuted, convicted or connected to a proven trafficking network.

What remains unknown

Authorities have announced arrest and charge totals, but those figures do not establish convictions or final case outcomes. Individual charges may change as prosecutors review evidence, defense lawyers challenge allegations and courts evaluate the cases. The sheriff's office has not provided, in the material reviewed here, a complete independent accounting of how the 11 identified trafficking victims were assisted after the operation.

The central confirmed development is the October 30 announcement of a large undercover operation and its reported results. The underlying allegations against individual defendants remain unproven unless and until established in court.

Reporting attribution: Polk County Sheriff's Office, October 30, 2026; corroborating coverage by WESH 2, FOX 13 Tampa Bay and The Ledger. This report is independently written from the verified factual record.

Featured image credit: Joe Gratz / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 public-domain dedication. Archival photograph of a courtroom gavel, used for illustration only. It does not show the Polk County operation, suspects or victims.