Ten men arrested late last week came to McComb thinking they had set up a rendezvous with a prostitute, but they essentially made arrangements for their own arrests, Pike County sheriff’s officials said.
The sheriff’s office, working with the Mississippi Attorney General’s human trafficking unit, organized the sting after ongoing investigations uncovered that there is indeed a market for illicit sex work in the area.
“That’s what it started from, looking into human trafficking in the area,” Sheriff James Brumfield said.
While he was initially surprised to see such a large number of arrests resulting from the sting, Brumfield said that indicates the crime is more rampant.
“I think there’s more of that out there than we realize,” he said.
Law enforcement organized the sting, which involved online correspondence, with officials not naming any specific websites or other online platforms used in setting up the operation, or where it took place last Thursday and Friday.
Of those arrested, most weren’t from Pike County, which has officials believing McComb may have an underground reputation as a place to procure prostitution. Two men were from McComb, one was from Magnolia and another was from Ruth. Others arrested were from Brandon, Jackson, La., and Franklin, La..
All of the men charged face first-offense charges of procuring prostitution. A second offense is a felony charge, sheriff’s officials said.
One of them, Jacob Dylan Wooten of Brookhaven, also faces a felony drug charge, sheriff’s officials said.
Brumfield said prostitution is a major concern because it often involves human trafficking, and sometimes the trafficking of minors.
He said the sting also sought to capture would-be child predators, and the silver lining in the case is that none were in the mix of those arrested.
“We’re constantly looking for online predators,” Brumfield said. “We did not find any pedophiles, so to speak. It was one of those things we were hoping we would but glad we didn’t.”
