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Deputies: Prostitution bust nabs 104 in Polk County

POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Deputies arrested 104 people during a six-day investigation dubbed Operation March Sadness, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said Tuesday morning during a news conference.

The bust, which lasted from March 14 until Sunday, focused on those who posted online advertisements offering prostitution services and identifying victims of human trafficking, Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Carrie Horstman said.

"Many of the prostitutes traveled to Florida and told detectives they travel across the country having sex for money," Horstman said.

Of the 104 people arrested, 38 were prostitutes, 51 were "johns," or those who solicited to pay for prostitution, and 14 were arrested for related charges, such as deriving proceeds from prostitution, Judd said.

Deputies said 23 of the people arrested told detectives that they were married.

Dirk Watson, 32, of Merritt Island, traveled to an undisclosed location to have sex with someone whom he thought was a 14-year-old girl, Judd said.

Watson is a captain in the U.S. Air Force stationed at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and he coaches his son's Little League baseball team.

Judd said Watson's wife and two children were at Walt Disney World, and he planned to meet them there on Sunday.

“He told his wife that he had a headache and didn't feel good, and so he wasn't going to make it to the family (trip to) Disney,” Judd said. “He should have gone to the family weekend.”

Guns and drugs were taken from some of the suspects, who ranged in age from 20 to 63.

Detectives said 37 felony charges and 128 misdemeanor charges were filed.

There were 191 previous felonies and 288 previous misdemeanor charges in the criminal histories of the people who were arrested, deputies said.