Police to Conduct Prostitution Sting Operation

The Burlington Police Department will conduct a series of prostitution sweeps over the next several months aimed at dissuading sex trafficking and sex crimes, especially those conducted over the Internet using local hotels as meeting locations.

Burlington Police will begin the operation, using several prominent Internet classified sites and other resources, to generate leads, according to Burlington Police Chief Michael Kent in a statment.

“Our eventual goal behind this operation is to have zero (prostitution) arrests,” Chief Kent said in a statement. “We are a thriving community with a bustling commercial district and several hotels, and we are aware that this can attract the wrong element sometimes. We want people to know that Burlington is not the place to conduct these kinds of activities.”

In December 2014, Burlington Police arrested seven men and one woman during a Friday evening prostitution sweep, after a Burlington Police Officer posted an ad on an online classifieds website offering sex for a fee.

“We conduct these operations for one reason: Prostitution is not a victimless crime,” said Burlington Police Detective Sergeant Timothy McDonough, who leads the operations. “In most cases, the real women behind the online ads are victims of human trafficking. We know that people who torment and exploit women and children use online ads to do their business, and we will continue to be aggressive in pushing sex crimes out of our community.”

Those arrested during the operation will be arraigned in Woburn District Court, and their names and photos will be distributed to the media.