Fort Worth sting arrests 20 men in human trafficking crackdown

FORT WORTH, Texas - A two-day undercover sting in November led to 20 arrests as the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office targeted people attempting to buy sex in North Texas, authorities said.

Undercover sting leads to arrests

What we know:

FOX 4 reporter, Peyton Yager, was granted rare behind-the-scenes access as members of the sheriff’s human trafficking unit, along with investigators from the Texas Department of Public Safety and Arlington police, conducted operations inside a Fort Worth hotel. The sting focused on men responding to online solicitation ads posted by undercover officers.

The online solicitation trap

Investigators said the operation began long before officers knocked on hotel room doors. At the sheriff’s administrative building, undercover personnel posing as women posted advertisements offering sex acts for specific prices, a requirement under Texas law to meet the definition of solicitation of prostitution.

Dig deeper:

Once a suspect agreed to a sex act and a dollar amount, investigators used the phone number to run background checks and prepare the team positioned at the hotel.

"We need them to identify what sex act they want and also have the dollar amount exchanged," said Melinda Clark of the sheriff’s human trafficking unit.

Felony charges and suspect profiles

As the men arrived for their appointments, officers moved in. Some were arrested immediately upon entering the room, while others attempted to flee or resist as officers subdued them. Turner said it is common during operations to communicate with hundreds of potential buyers, even if only a fraction ultimately shows up.

Those arrested included a church sign-language interpreter, men with families and at least one person officers said intended to take a woman to a truck stop to be trafficked. Several suspects also faced drug possession or resisting arrest charges. 

All were booked into the Tarrant County Jail on charges of solicitation of prostitution, which is a felony in Texas and carries a possible sentence of up to two years in prison for a first offense. None of the men has been convicted in the cases stemming from this operation.

"Unimaginable" amount of trafficking

What they're saying:

"This is occurring every day," said Commander Kevin Turner, who leads the county’s human trafficking team. "It’s unimaginable how much there is out there."

"It shows how strong the demand for commercial sex is here in North Texas," he said.

Turner emphasized that human trafficking does not fit common misconceptions.

"The majority of our victims, especially when it comes to sex trafficking, were born and raised here locally," he said. "The traffickers are born and raised here locally. Our buyers are born and raised here locally."

Nonprofit resources 

Local perspective:

The nonprofit DeliverFund provided technology and data support during the sting. "It gets busy sometimes," said DeliverFund’s Alisha Willemssen. "Keeping track of who is talking to whom" helps investigators avoid overlap as they pose as multiple online identities.

Advocates say arrests alone won’t curb the problem. 

The Fort Worth nonprofit, The Net, works with survivors and also with men arrested for solicitation through its MASE (Men Against Sexual Exploitation) program, offering resources in hopes of reducing repeat offenses.

"We know that just the threat of arrest or jail time alone is not going to keep them from doing this again," said Ty Bowden, the organization’s associate director. "We want to get at the root of what’s bringing them here."

Future trafficking response

Big picture view:

The Tarrant County human trafficking unit, formed in 2021, has conducted several stings in recent years. As large-scale events such as the 2026 World Cup approach, Turner said law enforcement agencies are preparing for increased demand and continuing to refine their response.

"They really wanted to show how prevalent it is," he said, "and how it happens at hotels near you."