October 29, 2021
Jim Evancho
On Thursday October 28, 2021 in the afternoon members of the East Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force, put together a prostitution sting that resulted in 11 arrests for solicitation of prostitution with two of them having felony narcotics in their possession. Chief Marcus Wood advised that this was a joint operation that included approximately 20-25 officers from surrounding police departments and the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office. He went on to say that Jacksonville Police Department utilized ten officers, including himself, to assist with the operation.
Officers set up accounts on various online platforms and presented themselves as prostitutes. The individuals arrested had contacted one or more of the accounts and set up meetings at a motel in Jacksonville. When they arrived they and enough evidence was collected by officers they were taken into custody and brought to the Calhoun County Jail. Chief Wood stated that individuals arrested were both from Calhoun County and surrounding counties. Chief Wood also stated that none of the individuals attempted to fight with officers during the arrests.
Soliciting prostitution is a class A misdemeanor in Alabama and if convicted defendants may be sentenced up to one year in jail and $6,000 in fines.
The East Metro Area Crime Center opened in May of 2019 in Oxford and consists of a large group of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies that work together to fight crime throughout the area. EMACC is equipped with some of the most cutting edge technology to assist officers with both identifying criminal activity and utilization during large scale operations such as the prostitution sting in Jacksonville.
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