148 people arrested in raid against human trafficking

Authorities in Hillsborough County, Florida, said 148 people were arrested following a raid in connection with Human trafficking in the last three months. In addition to those arrested, they also released seven victims.

“Operation Summer Shield,” an undercover human trafficking operation, led to the discovery that women as young as 16 were being trafficked, Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister said at a news conference this week. The victims found include five adult women and two minors.

The district authorities were able to uncover part of the plot by posing as minors on social networks for contact with sex offenders. That's how the police got hold of John Randall Craddock, a 33-year-old man who wanted to talk to a 15-year-old girl.

“Craddock sent numerous explicit and perverse messages and even audio messages describing the sexual acts he wanted to perform on this 15-year-old girl,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. Craddock now faces charges that include: Traveling to meet a minor after using computer services/devices to incite certain illegal acts and after attempting to commit lewd or lascivious physical assault.

In addition to Craddock, several other adult men and even a woman were charged. State Attorney Suzy Lopez pointed out that if convicted, the traffickers could face mandatory minimum life sentence in the Florida State Prison.