Human Trafficking Operation Nets 26 Arrests Including Pentagon

by Rafael Pena

November 24, 2023

An undercover human trafficking operation has resulted within the arrest of 26 people, amongst them Stephen Hovanic.

An undercover human trafficking operation performed by the Coweta County Sheriff’s Workplace on Nov. 16 has resulted within the arrest of 26 people, amongst them Stephen Hovanic, a outstanding determine recognized because the chief of employees for Protection Division faculties in the US, based on FOX 5 Atlanta. The operation, spanning two days, aimed to fight human trafficking, but it surely uncovered an online of illicit actions that shocked the group.

At 64 years previous, Hovanic, a resident of Sharpsburg, now faces prices of pandering, a misdemeanor in Georgia. The army publication Stars and Stripes make clear Hovanic’s position as a key official overseeing kids’s training throughout the Pentagon’s Protection Division faculties.

The arrest unfolded throughout an undercover operation by which Hovanic allegedly solicited intercourse from an undercover officer in a motel room particularly organized for the operation. Coweta County Sheriff’s Workplace revealed that the costs towards the 26 people spanned offenses corresponding to pandering, prostitution, and pimping.

The human trafficking sting not solely resulted in arrests but additionally aimed to supply help to victims of trafficking. In keeping with deputies, six ladies have been recognized as victims of human trafficking and have been provided assist to flee their dire circumstances.

In a press release to The Newnan Instances-Herald by Sgt. Toby Nix of the Coweta County Sheriff’s Workplace, Nix states, “The victims have been taken to an undisclosed ‘secure home,’ the place they may obtain the assistance they should transfer ahead from the heinous crime of human trafficking. All females contacted on this operation have been provided the identical help, with some refusing any help. Pandering is just not a victimless crime, because the demand for prostitution drives the intercourse trafficking market.”

Hovanic, nonetheless, maintains his innocence, asserting that he believed he was procuring a therapeutic massage, not partaking in unlawful sexual actions with the girl who, unbeknownst to him, was an undercover officer. His protection highlights a possible misunderstanding, and the case raises questions in regards to the nature of the encounter.

Sheriff’s deputies emphasised that the human trafficking investigation stays ongoing, hinting at the potential for further arrests and prices. The operation underscores the pervasive concern of human trafficking, even in seemingly unsuspecting communities, and the arrests ship a robust message about regulation enforcement’s dedication to combating such heinous crimes.