Sheriff: Man on honeymoon among 176 arrested in prostitution sting
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office announced that its newly formed Human Trafficking Squad cut a couple’s honeymoon short after the husband was arrested in a prostitution bust.>> Read more trending news
In a news release, the sheriff’s office said it arrested 176 men as part of a months-long investigation into prostitution and human trafficking. Investigators said most of the men were arrested for trying to solicit prostitutes.
Sheriff Chad Chronister singled out Paul Turovsky in the news release, saying he left his new wife at a hotel while on their honeymoon to meet an undercover detective to pay for sex.
“We all probably have questions about how long this marriage lasted, but I think the only question here, with it ending so quickly, as a wedding guest, was it too late to get the gifts that they gave returned back to them?” Chronister said to WFLA.
In the news release, the sheriff said that not only were some of the suspects accused of trying to solicit prostitutes, but they were also trying to coerce underage children into having sex with them. In each case, a female detective was undercover posing as a minor.
“Sometimes the demand was so overwhelming that we had to go purchase a second, sometimes a third hotel room, because they would all show up at once,” Chronister told WFLA, noting the “disturbing” number of men arrested.
Among the arrests were also two suspects who were accused of traveling from Massachusetts to Tampa with two missing teenagers. Deputies said in the news release that the teens were rescued and taken into protective custody.
Wood... the newlywed and a few others.
