The Stone County Sheriff's Office releases information on a recent Human Trafficking Demand Reduction Operation.
According to the release from the Sheriff's Office, on June 12, Stone County Officers were joined by the Christian County Sheriff’s Office, Missouri Attorney General’s Office, Missouri Information Analysis Center, OUR Rescue, and Pathways Project Coalition of the Ozarks for the operation that resulted in the arrests of six individuals.
A Felony Charge has been field against Theo Astwood of Branson who according to court documents, answered what he thought was an ad to meet a person for sex but instead was undercover officers. According to the probable cause affidavit, Astwood offered to help the undercover person and her sister arrange dates and a location to meet customers for sex. Astwood is being held in the Stone County Jail on a $50,000 Bond plus an Immigration hold as he is not a citizen of the United States.
The other five arrests were on Misdemeanor Charges of Patronizing Prostitution and included Gary Jackson and Chetankumar Dhihajlal Patel,of Branson, Leslie Lininger of Merriam Woods, Clifton Brown of Willow Springs, and Corey Reed of Lone Jack.
The release states that none of the charges filed involved soliciting a minor.
More details on the operation can be found on the Stone County Sheriff's Department Facebook Page.
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