POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WPEC) - — A Polk County human trafficking operation that netted hundreds of arrests included at least one famous name.
Retired NFL star Adarius Taylor found himself behind bars earlier this month, accused of trying to solicit an undercover deputy posing as a prostitute. Taylor, who had played for both Florida Atlantic University and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was booked on May 8 for solicitation as well as a count of negligent child abuse.
The latter allegation stemmed from Taylor, 34, allegedly bringing along his six-year-old child when he went to the location where he planned to meet with the deputy. After Taylor’s arrest, authorities discovered the child in his Ford F-150 and got him out.
The arrest report noted that they were the ones that found the child, saying Taylor did not tell anyone that the child was there.
"This guy here, you know, obviously he must have hit one too many people as a linebacker because his brain cells are scrambled," Sheriff Grady Judd said while describing Taylor's arrest.
Judd added that the Department of Children and Families responded to the location immediately and contacted the child's mother. She came to get her child, who is reportedly doing fine now.
Sheriff Judd on Taylor's arrest
"Fool Around and Find Out"
In addition to Taylor, another 243 people were rounded up in the multi-agency operation, dubbed “Fool Around and Find Out,” the Polk County Sheriff’s Office explained during a Friday news conference. The operation, which began on May 2, targeted those soliciting prostitutes, offering to commit prostitution or aiding and abetting such activities.
"This is the highest number of suspects we’ve ever arrested during a single undercover operation." Judd said the operation's goal was to identify victims, offer them help, and arrest those fueling and profiting from human exploitation. "Prostitution is not a victimless crime - it results in exploitation, disease, drug and alcohol addiction, violence, and broken families."
The affidavit against Taylor indicated he responded to an escort advertisement before agreeing to meet with the undercover deputy at the undisclosed location. Prior to meeting he had agreed to a price, the deputy reported, adding that she confirmed after his arrival that he was there for sexual purposes.
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Among those arrested, PCSO said 141 people were booked for soliciting a prostitute, while 10 others face aiding or abetting prostitution. Detectives said they filed a total of 102 felonies and 284 misdemeanors. The suspects had prior criminal histories totaling 400 felonies and 519 misdemeanors, including serious offenses like premeditated murder and sexual assault.
Sheriff Judd said the operation also identified four potential human trafficking victims and arrested 11 child predators who solicited minors online.
Taylor’s NFL Career
After graduating from Lakeland's Lake Gibson High School, Taylor’s collegiate career began at a community college in Iowa and ended up with the Owls after a pair of transfers.
The Barstow-native landed in the NFL in 2014 as an undrafted free agent, signing with the Carolina Panthers.
The next season he signed with the Buccaneers where he spent the next four seasons, starting 10 games for Tampa Bay during that final campaign. He retired in 2020 after two one-year stints in Cleveland and Carolina, respectively.
Taylor returned to Lakeland in the years since his NFL career ended.
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