Attorney General Tim Griffin issued the following statement after investigators in his office arrested nine men and charged them with sexual solicitation:
“Earlier this week, agents in my Special Investigations Division led a multi-agency operation in Hot Springs that resulted in the arrest of nine men, all of whom were charged with sexual solicitation, a Class A misdemeanor.
“As a result of information collected during our human trafficking investigations of illicit massage businesses, my investigators identified online platforms where men would arrange meetings with prostitutes to engage in sex for money. Some of the women who advertised on these platforms were victims of human trafficking. For the past two years, we’ve focused primarily on the supply side of these kinds of operations by going after the establishments where illicit activity is occurring. We have arrested seven individuals, including one mid-level ringleader, and have provided services to 30 victims. This week’s operation focused on the demand side.
“Make no mistake, this is despicable behavior, and it perpetuates human trafficking, plain and simple. And our work is having an impact. One individual said on an illicit sex website, ‘Looks like Fayetteville is about to be out of the happy ending business.’ Another user wrote, ‘Beware our state AG is on a mission.’
“I am grateful to Prosecuting Attorney for the 18th Judicial District East Michelle Lawrence; Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; the FBI; the Garland County Sheriff’s Office; the Hot Springs Police Department; the Little Rock Police Department; and the Arkansas State Police for their assistance on this operation.”
The nine men arrested were Vicente Santos, 46; David Hicks, 22; Jacob Benson, 32; Edward Freeman, 22; Antron Pearson, 37; Isaias Martinez-Sanchez, 30; Michael McConnell, 32; Carthon Cooper, 27; and Gustavo Gonzalez, 28.