Bloomington police: 14 men arrested in prostitution sting
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — Bloomington police have arrested more than a dozen people in connection to a prostitution sting.
Police Chief Booker Hodges on Wednesday held a news conference to announce the arrests.
Last week, Hodges says Bloomington police and other law enforcement partners, including MSP Airport police, began investigating suspects who were seeking prostitution services from both juvenile and adult sex workers.
Hodges says investigators created a detailed advertisement using photos of an undercover officer and posted it to websites known to be used by those seeking prostitution services.
Between Sept. 13 and Sept. 20, 14 men were arrested and booked into Bloomington jail.
"In Bloomington, we do not have the Red Light District. We have the 'Orange Jumpsuit District,' and a bunch of people today, all 14 guys here, found that out the hard way," Hodges said.
Of the 14 men arrested, five were allegedly seeking prostitution services from minors.
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Hodges says he expects charges to be filed within the next couple of weeks.
"These cases, when you arrest somebody, you have to have all of the text messages and the whole nine yards of them exchanging, that's why it takes a little bit longer to file charges against these people," Hodges said.
Most of the men are from the Twin Cities area, with one exception being a man from Alabama. Their ages range from 18 to 64 years old. Most of them are either in their 20s or 30s.
WCCO does not typically identify suspects until formal charges are filed.
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Victims of trafficking can get help by calling the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888 or texting "HELP" to 233733.
The BCA says anyone can report a suspected trafficking situation by calling the BCA at 877-996-6222 or emailing bca.tips@state.mn.us.
