DAPHNE, Ala. — Twelve men have been charged with soliciting prostitution after a Daphne human trafficking sting along the Interstate 10 corridor in Baldwin County, and police say one of them is a former Fairhope police officer. Two of the men were also detained for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The Daphne Police Department led the multi-agency operation on Friday, Nov. 6, and announced the results Monday, Nov. 9. Police said the goal was to cut into the demand for paid sex, which can feed human trafficking and sexual exploitation, and to find possible victims and connect them with help.
All 12 men are charged with solicitation of prostitution, a Class A misdemeanor in Alabama. Several face additional charges. Police noted that everyone arrested is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
What police say happened
According to the department, the Nov. 6 operation targeted people trying to buy sex at locations along the I-10 corridor in Baldwin County. Police did not publicly detail where the sting was set up or exactly how the men were contacted, though early accounts described an undercover operation in Daphne on Friday night in which men were offered sex for money.
Investigators said no actual victims were involved in the sting. They said they hope the arrests will encourage people who are being exploited to come forward.
The department said in a statement that the operation focused on disrupting the demand for commercial sex that can contribute to human trafficking and sexual exploitation. The department said the operation was supported by open-source intelligence and additional operational assistance from The Little Tree Project, a civilian nonprofit organization dedicated to victim advocacy.
Police said these operations do more than produce arrests. They give officers a chance to identify potential victims of trafficking and exploitation and connect them with ongoing support through partners such as The Little Tree Project. Investigations like this one can also turn up people involved in other crimes, including some with outstanding arrest warrants. The department did not say which of the 12 men, if any, had outstanding warrants.
Who was charged
Daphne police identified the 12 men as follows. Each is charged with solicitation of prostitution, with any additional charges or holds noted:
- Jonathan Fender, of Silverhill
- Jayden Kelley, of Stapleton
- Jordan Phillips, of Pensacola, Florida
- Jocquez Dixon, of Montgomery
- Joseph Bates, of Mobile, also charged with attempting to elude police
- Diego Gaspar Mauro, also detained for ICE; police did not list a hometown
- Shannon Moore, of Wilmer
- Carlton Lee, of Daphne, also charged with second-degree possession of marijuana
- Carlos Byther, of Daphne, also charged with resisting arrest and second-degree possession of marijuana
- Joseph Emmanuell Bailey, of Gulf Shores, also detained for ICE
- Juan Vellejo III, of San Juan, Texas
- Terrance Penn, of Mount Vernon
The list shows how far some of the men came. Most are from Baldwin and Mobile counties, but others are from Montgomery, the Florida Panhandle and South Texas. The I-10 corridor, which runs through Daphne and connects the Mobile area with Pensacola and points east and west, carries heavy traffic every day.
Former Fairhope officer among those arrested
Police said Fender, one of the 12 men charged, is a former Fairhope police officer. The Fairhope Police Department said Fender left the department in February for a job in the private sector. He is charged with solicitation of prostitution only, according to the list released by police.
Two men held for immigration authorities
Two of the men, Bailey and Mauro, were detained for ICE after their arrests on the solicitation charge. Bailey’s residence was listed as Gulf Shores. Mauro is employed in Mobile, but no residence was listed for him.
When contacted with questions about the two men, ICE replied that its media relations staff is out of the office through Nov. 14. Homeland Security Investigations, a federal investigative agency within the Department of Homeland Security, was one of the agencies that took part in the operation.
A multi-agency effort
Daphne police led the sting, but officers from several other agencies across the region took part:
- Orange Beach Police Department
- Gulf Shores Police Department
- Spanish Fort Police Department
- Monroe County Sheriff’s Office
- Homeland Security Investigations
Lt. Jason Lazzari of the Daphne Police Criminal Investigations Division said operations like this one are needed.
Lazzari said it is something that needs to be stopped and addressed in this area.
He said the activity is not necessarily on the rise, noting it has always been there but now they have the manpower. Lazzari said police now have the connections to work these kinds of cases and put a stop to it. In the past, he said, manpower and technology were obstacles, but now they have everything.
The department said the Daphne Police Department remains committed to proactive enforcement efforts that combat human trafficking, reduce opportunities for exploitation, protect vulnerable individuals, and improve the quality of life and safety of the community.
What the charges mean
Solicitation of prostitution is covered by Section 13A-12-121 of the Code of Alabama. As a Class A misdemeanor, the most serious category of misdemeanor in the state, it carries a possible sentence of up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $6,000. Those are maximum penalties. The outcome of each case will depend on the court process, and each of the men has the right to contest the charges.
Stings that focus on buyers, often called demand-reduction operations, have become a common approach for law enforcement agencies working on human trafficking. The idea is that reducing the number of people willing to pay for sex reduces the profit that drives sex trafficking. Advocates also say the operations can bring officers into contact with people who are being exploited and who might not otherwise ask for help.
Daphne’s operation is one of several recent local cases tied to prostitution and trafficking. In early November, Saraland police arrested a man they described as the leader of a Mobile County prostitution ring. In October, a Foley man pleaded guilty in federal court in Mobile in a Baldwin County prostitution ring case investigated with help from Homeland Security Investigations. And in Clarke County, the sheriff’s office recently announced the arrests of four men in a separate undercover operation aimed at the trafficking of minors, with assistance from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies.
Where to get help
Police said a central goal of the operation was to reach people who may be victims of trafficking or exploitation. Anyone who believes they or someone they know is being trafficked can get confidential help around the clock from the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or by texting 233733. In an emergency, call 911.
Residents with information about possible trafficking or exploitation in the Daphne area can contact the Daphne Police Department.
