The Polk County Sheriff's Office arrested 114 suspects after a six-day-long undercover operation focusing on human trafficking, called "Operation Not So Silent Night." One of those arrested, the sheriff's office says, is a high-ranking official with the Osceola County School Board.
The investigation took place Thursday, December 8 through Tuesday, December 13, and focused on those who advertise prostitution services in online ads and identifying victims of human trafficking.
Undercover detectives arrested a total of 114 suspects, and charged an additional two suspects with warrants.
During the investigation, female undercover detectives posted fictitious ads online, and male undercover detectives responded to ads posted online by others, according to PCSO.
The sheriff's office says that the types of suspects arrested were those who responded to the ads posted by the undercover detectives, or "johns;" those who came to the undercover location to have sex for money, or "prostitutes;" two suspects who traveled to the undercover location to have sex with minors; and others associated with both types of suspects.
Of the 114 suspects arrested, PCSO detectives believe four are victims of human trafficking, and investigations are ongoing.
"We are exceptionally pleased that we were able to potentially identify four victims of human trafficking, which is the goal of this operation, " said Sheriff Grady Judd. "We are thrilled that we arrested two men who prey upon children, preventing them from doing so. We are extremely disappointed that we arrested a high-ranking official within the Osceola County School Board, whose occupation focuses on teaching and mentoring children."
That official is 42-year-old Matthew Phillips, PhD., the Director of Elementary Curriculum for the Osceola School Board. According to the sheriff's office, he arrived at the undercover location to have sex with a prostitute. He was arrested and charged with Offer to Engage in Lewdness, and Battery.
Two suspects - 48-year-old Thomas Davis, of Mashpee, Massachusetts, and 33-year-old Oscar Gonzalez, of Haines City - traveled to the undercover location to have sex with who they thought were children.
According to the arrest affidavit, Davis sent instant messages to an undercover detective posing as a 14-year-old girl online. During their online conversation, Davis solicited the "girl" to send him nude photos of herself, and sent her photos of himself, including nude photos.
Investigators say Gonzalez began talking to an undercover detective posing as a 14-year-old boy on a social networking site, and then via text message.
Both men were arrested when they arrived at an undercover location where they believed they were meeting the children for sex.
Another of the suspects arrested, 50-year-old Matthew Irvin of Oakland, FL, told detectives that he told his wife he was going out to buy Christmas presents for his children, but came to the undercover location instead, to have sex with a prostitute.
40-year-old Michael Bonislawski of Davenport, FL, told detectives his pregnant wife was at home, and that their baby was due the same day he showed up to the undercover location.
Source: FOX 13
