Published September 1 2017
Investigators with the Bellevue Police Department and the King County Sheriff’s Office on Friday concluded a large-scale undercover operation aimed at targeting online buyers of sex in King County. The investigation, dubbed “Operation On Demand,” resulted in the arrest of over 100 individuals for soliciting prostitution.
The individuals arrested were expected to be charged by Bellevue city prosecutors with soliciting prostitution, a misdemeanor, beginning Friday afternoon.
Law enforcement throughout King County has been targeting buyers of sex as part of an ongoing push to reduce the demand for prostitution, with the goal to reduce human trafficking in our region. Demand reduction has been proven to be an effective method of reducing the demand for prostitution and the demand for trafficked sex workers.
“A year ago, the Bellevue Police Department and the King County Sheriff’s Office dismantled a large-scale human trafficking ring,” said Bellevue Police Chief Steve Mylett. “This operation is a continuation of our effort to eradicate human trafficking crimes. We will continue to devote our combined resources to combat this plague.”
This investigation was a joint operation involving the Bellevue Police Department, King County Sheriff’s Office, NORCOM 911, the Washington State Fusion Center, and the City of Bellevue Prosecutor’s Office.