Across the United States, law enforcement agencies are ramping up efforts to combat child exploitation and prostitution, resulting in a wave of arrests and renewed public debate over the tactics and effectiveness of these operations. In the past two weeks alone, a string of undercover stings and coordinated investigations have targeted alleged offenders in Minnesota, Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, and Alabama, exposing both the scale of the problem and the challenges of protecting vulnerable individuals.
In Goodhue County, Minnesota, a proactive undercover operation led to the arrest of 24-year-old Josef Brace from Rochester on September 3, 2025. According to a news release from the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office, an investigator posed as a 13-year-old girl online, engaging in conversations with Brace, who allegedly offered to pay for sexual acts. The operation culminated in a planned meeting in Wanamingo, about 30 miles northwest of Rochester. When deputies attempted to apprehend him at the scene, Brace fled, prompting a brief pursuit that was called off for public safety reasons. He was later arrested by Rochester police and charged with solicitation of a minor, prostitution of a minor, and fleeing law enforcement. After his first court appearance, Brace posted a $500,000 bail and is due back in court in October. Sheriff Marty Kelly underscored the operation’s significance, stating, “This initiative has been years in the making. We are fully committed to identifying, investigating, and arresting individuals who seek to exploit vulnerable children. The safety of our youth remains our top priority.”
Meanwhile, in Colorado, a long-running manhunt came to an end when David Anthony Jaramillo, 38, was arrested in León, Guanajuato, Mexico, on August 23, 2025, after eight years as a fugitive. The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office revealed that the arrest was the result of a joint investigation involving Mexican police, the FBI, and law enforcement from across the Denver metro area. Jaramillo, who had previously pled guilty to sexual exploitation of a child in 2017 after being caught in a Denver Police Department sting operation, failed to appear at a subsequent court hearing and vanished. He has also been wanted for felony menacing, assault, child abuse, child prostitution, sex assault on a child, and internet luring of a child in Weld and Jefferson Counties. After his extradition to Colorado on September 8, Jaramillo is now awaiting trial at the Arapahoe County Detention Center, with arraignment scheduled for October 13. FBI Special Agent Mark Michalek commented, “Protecting children is a top priority of the FBI, and we aggressively investigate child predators and pursue criminal cases against them. In this case, the offender thought he could escape justice. Our community is safer with him behind bars.”
Similar proactive strategies are being deployed in Texas, where the Corpus Christi Police Department’s Narcotics Vice Investigations Division conducted a “Jane” sting operation on September 10, 2025. The operation led to the arrest of five women on prostitution charges in various locations, including Port Ave/Ruth St, Agnes St/19th St, the Leopard Corridor, and San Diego Park. Before being booked, all five women were interviewed by the Red Cord program, a move that reflects a growing trend of law enforcement agencies partnering with social service organizations to address the underlying issues that contribute to prostitution. While the focus in Corpus Christi was on adult prostitution rather than child exploitation, the operation highlights the breadth of law enforcement’s efforts to tackle sex crimes at multiple levels.
In Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, the fallout from a prostitution sting has reverberated through the local community after Strother Fire Chief Ryan Lehmen was arrested on September 11, 2025. According to court filings, Lehmen contacted an undercover officer posing as a prostitute online, agreed to pay $80 for oral sex, and was arrested at a Shawnee hotel room. Lehmen admitted to searching for escorts online and told investigators, “I have never done anything like this before” and acknowledged, “I knew it was a mistake.” Following his arrest, the volunteer fire department board held an emergency meeting and voted to suspend Lehmen pending the outcome of his case. Lehmen, who took over as fire chief in April, now faces an uncertain future as the department awaits a final decision.
The most extensive operation reported in recent days unfolded in Limestone County, Alabama, where the sheriff’s office’s “Operation Summer Heat” has resulted in upwards of 50 arrests for soliciting sex from minors. On September 15, 2025, a final bond hearing was held for 11 suspects, all charged after being caught in stings involving a decoy posing as a 15-year-old girl. In each case, prosecutors presented text messages showing the suspects believed they were arranging to meet a teenage girl for money. Sheriff Joshua McLaughlin explained the diversity of those arrested, stating, “People who are married and have kids, to people who are single and don’t have kids, there’s not really just one that key’s in on it. And like I said, ‘We get a lot of people that solicit those profiles that you never in a million years would have thought would be some of those individuals out there doing those kinds of things.” The judge took the cases under advisement, and McLaughlin expects bond to be denied for all suspects. He also emphasized that the operation is ongoing, with more arrests likely as additional suspects are identified.
These coordinated stings and investigations have sparked conversations about the balance between aggressive law enforcement and the complexities of rehabilitation, privacy, and justice. Advocates for victims and civil liberties groups sometimes question whether sting operations risk entrapment or disproportionately target certain populations. Law enforcement officials, however, maintain that such operations are essential tools for protecting children and deterring would-be offenders. The involvement of programs like Red Cord in Corpus Christi signals a shift toward providing support services alongside enforcement, aiming to break cycles of exploitation and address root causes.
As communities grapple with the aftermath of these arrests, the message from authorities is clear: those who seek to exploit children or engage in illegal sex acts will be pursued, no matter how long it takes or how far they run. The recent high-profile cases underscore both the persistence of law enforcement and the ongoing challenge of safeguarding vulnerable individuals in the digital age. With court dates approaching and investigations ongoing, these cases will continue to shape the national conversation around exploitation, justice, and prevention.
The recent stings serve as a stark reminder that the fight against exploitation and illegal sex acts is far from over, but with renewed vigilance and evolving strategies, communities are determined to keep their most vulnerable members safe.
