Florida’s Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd gives an update on a human trafficking bust that led to the rescue of four potential victims and 157 arrests, including a Disney employee and 25 illegal immigrants. Sheriff Grady Judd explains that Minnesota law enforcement has not revoked one suspect’s bond or attempted to arrest and extradite him after his arrest in Florida while out on bond in Minnesota. YouTube Tips ⓘ
Look here. A law enforcement leader that’s not afraid to tell you what was accomplished, how it was done, and how the mission helps society — Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. This is not an example of an occasional news release; this is a pattern of excellence wherein the Polk County Sheriff consistently and repeatedly informs the public about the efforts of his deputies and his law enforcement partners, while crediting them for their work. Law enforcement leadership at its finest.
OPERATION AUTUMN SWEEP
During a five-day-long undercover human trafficking operation, which began on October 2, 2024, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Vice Unit arrested 157 suspects involved in illegal acts related to soliciting prostitutes, offering to commit prostitution, or aiding and abetting prostitutes. Three other suspects were arrested for traveling to sexually batter juveniles.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) detectives were joined by detectives from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Auburndale Police, Clermont Police, Davenport Police, Haines City Police, Lakeland Police, Lake Wales Police, St. Cloud Police, Tampa Police, Winter Haven Police Department, and Winter Haven Fire departments. The Office of the State Attorney 10th Judicial Circuit, State Attorney Brian Haas, members from the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF), and social services organizations One More Child and Heartland for Children were also on-hand. Special thanks also to the Florida Human Trafficking Victims’ Fund for their assistance.
Those who travelled to commit prostitution were screened by detectives and the social services organizations to determine if they were being trafficked or exploited by others, and were offered services by the social services organizations at the operation. During this investigation, four possible human trafficking victims were identified of the 47 prostitutes who showed up to the undercover location offering to commit prostitution.
There were 96 suspects arrested for soliciting a prostitute and traveling to the undercover location to negotiate having sex in exchange for money; 14 other suspects were arrested, and of those, one was charged with human trafficking, a life felony.
Detectives charged a total of 35 felonies and 201 misdemeanors during the investigation. The suspects’ criminal histories included a combined total of 327 felonies and 455 misdemeanors, with charges such as premeditated murder (two suspects – nolle prosequi), attempted murder, vehicular homicide, attempted murder, kidnapping, robbery, aggravated battery, and sexual assault.
“The approach of Hurricane Milton caused us to end our investigation earlier than planned, but it’s still amazing that in such a short amount of time we were able to put 157 people in jail, and three child predators. Sixteen percent of the suspects we arrested are here illegally, but were offered free medical, food, travel, and housing, compliments of the U.S. taxpayers – meanwhile hurricane victims are still waiting, and praying for help.”
– Grady Judd, Sheriff
Detectives identified and arrested one suspect for human trafficking after one of his victims arrived at the undercover location and trusted law enforcement enough to tell her story.
Travis Hutchinson, 25, from Davenport, is charged with human trafficking (F1), forcing one to prostitute (F3), deriving proceeds from prostitution (F2), and battery strangulation (F3). His victim was driven to the undercover location by a friend. The victim traveled from Colombia to Mexico, where she walked across the border and was flown to Orlando. She was told she needed to pay off her $6,000 debt to the coyote(s) who transported her to the U.S. She was then given to Hutchinson, who created all of her online ads and communicates with all the “clients” who pay her to have sex with them. The payments either go directly to Hutchinson, or if she collects the money he immediately takes it from her, and only allows her to keep a portion of it with which to pay for food and lodging. Hutchinson threatens her and physically abuses her – she had marks on her neck from recently being choked by him. He forced her into prostitution through intimidation, fear, and physical abuse, and held onto the documents she received when she arrived in the U.S. The victim was rescued during this investigation and is in the custody of social services and rescue organizations.
Some interesting notes from the operation:
Twenty-five of the arrested are suspected of being in the country illegally; Those who are here illegally are from Cuba, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Venezuela.
Twenty-six suspects told detectives they are married.
Nine suspects told detectives they receive government assistance.
Ten suspects brought illegal drugs to the location: cocaine, MDMA, and marijuana.
Ten firearms were brought to the undercover location
One-hundred thirty-one suspects were from outside of Polk County, including 9 states and the United Kingdom: Arkansas, California, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
The oldest person arrested is 61 years old while the youngest is 15 years old.
Three suspects were either active duty military or veterans; three suspects worked at Disney World; three suspects were previously arrested by PCSO during similar sting operations. Several suspects left either their wives or fiancées at home – the women thought their partners were either at work, or going to a store or the gym.
Three other suspects communicated with and solicited who they thought were children online – they showed up to an undercover location in Polk County at separate times to sexually batter children. One of these suspects also works at Disney World.
THE THREE TRAVELING PEDOPHILE SUSPECTS WHO SOLICITED CHILDREN ACTORS:
Branden Orr, age 28 (DOB 6/20/1996), of Kissimmee, FL. Orr sent social media messages to an undercover detective who was posing as a 14-year-old girl. Orr told the decoy that he had been “stood up” and was bored, and then said he wanted to take the “girl” to Disney. He said if he came to her house they could watch a movie, cuddle, make out, and have sex. He traveled to the undercover location and when detectives approached to take him into custody, he tried to run — detectives deployed a Taser and he was arrested. He told detectives that he is a lifeguard at Disney World’s Art of Animation Resort, and that he is engaged to be married.
Orr was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with …
Traveling to meet a minor (F2)
Use of two-way communication device to commit a felony (F3)
Attempted lewd/lascivious battery on a minor (F3)
Resisting arrest (M1)
Michael Gillis, age 34 (DOB 8/31/1990), of Eden Prairie, MN. Gillis sent social media messages to an undercover detective who was posing as a 14-year-old boy. Gillis told the decoy that he is 24-years-old, and the conversation immediately became sexual in nature. His online profile displays the quote, “be chill, looking for younger guys.” He sent the “boy” pornographic images and described the sex acts he wanted to perform on the child. He took an Uber to the undercover location and was taken into custody. He brought condoms. He gave detectives a false name and had to be identified after being fingerprinted. After his true identity was known via fingerprinting, his criminal history was revealed, including his recent arrest in Bloomington, Minnesota for soliciting a child online to engage in sexual conduct. He was arrested in Bloomington, Minnesota on August 8, 2024, and released the next day after posting $85,000 bond. He was released from the Polk County Jail after posting $72,000 bond, and is on a GPS monitoring system here. He told detectives that he is a videographer and was in Orlando for work.
Gillis was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with:
Traveling to meet a minor (F2)
Use of a computer to seduce a child (F2)
Use of two-way communication device to commit a felony (F3)
Lewd/lascivious conduct (F3)
Resisting arrest (M1)
Giving false info to LEO (M1)
Ezequiel Mejia, age 30 (DOB 4/10/1994), of Haines City, FL. Mejia sent social media messages to an undercover detective who was posing as a 14-year-old girl. He told the decoy that he wanted to be her boyfriend but that doing anything else with her could get him into “very big trouble.” He brought condoms with him when he arrived at the undercover location. He told detectives that he is an electrician, and married with a 7-year-old daughter, and his wife and child are in North Carolina due to the approaching hurricane. He has been in the country illegally from Mexico for 10 years. PCSO notified ICE and he is on an ICE hold in the jail.
Mejia was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with …
Traveling to meet a minor (F2)
Use of two-way communication device to commit a felony (F3)
Attempted lewd/lascivious battery on a minor (F3)
Resisting arrest (M1)
Grady Judd began his career at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (Florida) in 1972 as a dispatcher. After transferring to the Patrol Division in 1974, he quickly progressed through the ranks – holding every rank from Sergeant to Colonel. Polk County overwhelmingly elected Grady to serve as Sheriff in 2004.
Sheriff Grady Judd has earned higher education degrees through the Masters level – having obtained both Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from Rollins College. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, the Senior Management Institute for Police, the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar, and the FBI National Executive Institute. He was a participant of the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA) Law Enforcement Exchange Program (LEEP).
Sheriff Judd has taught as an adjunct professor at both the University of South Florida and Florida Southern College. He is a Polk County School Board Hall of Fame inductee, a past recipient of Polk State College’s prestigious Distinguished Alumni Award, the 2008 Boy Scouts of America Distinguished Citizen Award, Protect Our Children Junny Award, the 2013 Callyo’s Leaders in Online Child Protection Award, as well as the 2013 Church Women United Human Rights Award. He is a past President of the Florida Sheriffs Association and the Major County Sheriffs of America, a national organization serving counties with a population of 500,000 or more.