According to a Fox News report, detectives in Polk County, Florida, reported that several Disney employees and a former judge were among the more than 108 people arrested during an operation focused on human trafficking, prostitution, and child predators.
According to a sheriff’s office news release, the six-day undercover operation dubbed “Operation March Sadness 2” began on March 8 and resulted in 108 arrests.
According to the sheriff’s office, four suspects are Disney employees. Based on the most recent CBS News report, Disney has placed these employees on unpaid leave.
“Alone, the arrests of a human trafficker and four child predators make the entire operation worthwhile.”
“The online prostitution industry both facilitates and victimizes traffickers,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a news release.
“Our goal is to identify victims, assist them, and find and arrest those who profit from human exploitation.”
According to reports, authorities also arrested a man who worked at The Fun Spot, a local amusement park in Orlando, and was a former judge in the Cook County 4th Sub Circuit Court. According to Judd, he has asked for an attorney.
“Xavier Jackson, 27, worked as a lifeguard for Walt Disney at the Polynesian Resort, Jackson sent inappropriate photos and messages to an undercover detective posing as a 14-year-old girl. According to CBS News, he was charged with “three counts of transmitting harmful material to a minor and one count of unlawful communication.”
The three others, who were allegedly attempting to solicit a prostitute, were identified by Judd as Wilkason Fidele, 24, who worked at Walt Disney World’s Tomorrowland’s Cosmic Restaurant for four years; Shubham Malave, 27, who is on visa citizenship from India and worked as a software developer for Disney; and Ralph Leese, 45, who spent nearly four years working in IT for Disney,” according to the report.
Fox News reported that undercover police officers talked with the suspects online and arranged for a meetup at a location where they were apprehended following their arrival. Also, according to FOX35 in Orlando, one couple traveled all the way to Bradenton to collect $1,000 for sex.
During a news conference on Wednesday, Judd also stated, “Where there is prostitution, there is exploitation, disease, dysfunction, and broken families.”
