Authorities have arrested 108 people, including alleged child
sexual predators and those seeking prostitutes, in a six-day
undercover human trafficking operation in Florida. Among those
taken into custody were four Disney employees and a retired
judge, police said.

"The arrests of a human trafficker and four child predators
alone makes this whole operation worthwhile," Polk County
Sheriff Grady Judd said Wednesday. "Where there is prostitution,
there is exploitation, disease, dysfunction and broken families."

During their operation, which they called "Operation March
Sadness 2," detectives found prostitutes who had posted online
advertisements through various websites and social media
platforms to identify people who were seeking them out. They
also identified adults who they thought were inappropriately
communicating with children.

Undercover detectives then communicated online with these
suspects before meeting them at a location and arresting them.
Members of anti-trafficking organizations also responded,
speaking with prostitutes and offering them services and
counseling, the sheriff's office said.

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Officials identified four Disney employees as among those
arrested. Xavier Jackson, 27, worked as a lifeguard at the
Polynesian Resort for Walt Disney. Judd said Jackson sent
inappropriate photos of himself and messages to an undercover
detective who pretended to be a 14-year-old girl. He was charged
with three counts of transmitting harmful material to a minor
and one count of unlawful communication.

"We protected some little girl someplace that was groomed or
potentially groomed by these evil, deviant criminals, thugs,
that's all they are," Judd said about the four suspects at a
press conference. "They're dangerous people."

The three others, who were allegedly attempting to solicit a
prostitute, were identified by Judd as: Wilkason Fidele, 24, who
worked at the Cosmic Restaurant at Walt Disney World's
Tomorrowland for four years; Shubham Malave, 27, who is on a
visa citizenship from India and worked as a software developer
for Disney; and Ralph Leese, 45, who spent nearly four years
working in IT for Disney.

"He's married," Judd said about Leese. "So I'm sure Disney's not
pleased. I bet his wife's not pleased, but we're pleased that we
arrested him."

In a statement to CBS News, Disney confirmed that Leese, Fidele
and Jackson have been placed on unpaid leave. It added that
Malave is not an employee of the company.

Authorities also arrested a man who worked at a local family
amusement park in Orlando called The Fun Spot and a former
Florida judge. Both were allegedly seeking prostitutes.

Judd said Daniel Peters, 66, told detectives that he used to be
a judge in the Cook County 4th Sub Circuit Court and a special
assistant for legal affairs in the office of professional
regulations at the Cook County Sheriff's Office in Illinois. He
was charged with soliciting a prostitute.

"He requested an attorney," Judd said. "Well judge, you need an
attorney. You got problems."

Judd warned that his office will continue to arrest those who
violate the law.

"What amazes me is we could do another operation starting next
week and fill this board up again," he said. "And be sure of one
thing: These chiefs and I will do just that. We'll be back and
if you violate the law, we're going to take you to jail. That's
a guarantee."

https://news.yahoo.com/disney-employees-former-judge-arrested-
233800120.html
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