Florida law enforcement authorities arrested 148 people and recovered seven victims during an anti-human trafficking operation dubbed “Operation Summer Shield.”
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said during a news conference Tuesday that the goal of the operation was to prevent children from becoming victims of human trafficking during the summer, when they are out of school and spending more time on the Internet.
He said his office wanted to be proactive in ensuring that children did not fall victim to human trafficking.
“From April 29, the 102 days during the summer until the Friday before school started, we really stepped up our efforts to combat human trafficking and ensure that no child fell victim to human trafficking operations,” Chronister said.
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During the first day of the operation, the sheriff's office said, several records were broken.
“That day they broke a record for people wanting to buy sex in a single day,” Chronister said. “That was until the second day, when they broke that record almost an hour before the operation started.”
The operation resulted in 148 arrests for various crimes, and 11 of the suspects were charged with human trafficking.
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Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister announced that 148 people were arrested during “Operation Summer Shield,” an operation targeting human trafficking operations. (Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office)
According to Chronister, seven victims were rescued, two of whom were 17-year-old girls.
Chronister highlighted four of the arrests during Tuesday's news conference, which he said were of the “most egregious offenders.”
One suspect, John Randall Craddock, 33, was arrested after he allegedly sent explicit messages to someone he believed to be a 15-year-old girl, but Chronister said the suspect was actually communicating with an undercover detective.
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John Randall Craddock was arrested during the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office's “Operation Summer Shield.” (Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office)
Devante Kershaw, 28, was arrested during the operation when he also allegedly communicated with an undercover detective.
“After trying to groom our undercover detective for almost a month, it was time to meet,” Chronister said. “Kershaw was so confident that he met with our undercover detective for over an hour, and our human trafficking squad sealed the deal with a solid arrest and a RICO charge, among others.”
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Devante Kershaw, 28, was arrested during “Operation Summer Shield” in Hillsborough County, Florida. (Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office)
Officers arrested Dontae Burton, 39, who allegedly forced a 17-year-old girl to have sex for money. Chronister said Burton posted explicit photos of the victim on adult escort websites, arranged dates and collected the money she brought.
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Dontae Burton was arrested during the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office's “Operation Summer Shield.” (Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office)
The 17-year-old, Chronister added, was living at home with her mother, who was unaware of what was happening.
“This sick scheme lasted for about three months until we received a tip and our human trafficking squad quickly went to work. A federal arrest warrant was issued and Burton was taken into custody,” the sheriff said.
The fourth suspect Chronister highlighted was Dennis Jose Aguilar-Maroto, 35, who allegedly met his victim when she was just 16 years old at a neighborhood park.
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Dennis Aguilar-Maroto was arrested during the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office's “Operation Summer Shield.” (Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office)
Aguilar-Maroto allegedly groomed the teen for months before paying her between $40 and $60 for sexual acts when she turned 18, authorities said. The sheriff said the suspect paid the 17-year-old at least four times.
“It wasn't until our officers found the two at an abandoned restaurant in Brandon that Aguilar-Maroto's criminal conduct ended,” Chronister said. “While conducting a proactive patrol, officers found the two in the backseat of a small pickup truck where they engaged in sexual intercourse in exchange for money, and Aguilar-Maroto was immediately arrested.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the sheriff's office for further comment.
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Chronister posted on social media that her office's mission was clear: “to protect our community and hold traffickers accountable.”
“We will not rest until all victims are safe and all traffickers are behind bars,” the sheriff said. “Let me be clear: Traffickers, your days of exploiting innocent people are over in Hillsborough County.”
