FLORIDA, USA. – A total of 281 people have been arrested and 488 criminal charges have been filed following a seven-day covert police operation in Polk County, Florida. The operation, called Polk Around and Find Out II, focused on human trafficking and adults attempting to sexually exploit children. Disney has since terminated employees who were arrested.
The results were announced by authorities on Friday, 30 October 2026. 17 theme park workers were among those arrested, 13 from Walt Disney World and four from Universal Orlando. According to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, seven of the 17 workers formed part of the investigation into alleged "sex predators" targeting children.
Disney confirmed to Judd that the employees involved had been fired. One of the suspects was a former Disney character performer who had previously played Mickey Mouse. He is accused of communicating online with an investigator posing as the guardian of a 13-year-old boy and attempting to arrange a meeting with the child.
A youth sports coach and an Orange County deputy sheriff were also arrested. Investigators seized 24 firearms, methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl during the operation. A total of 32 suspects were also charged with drug possession. The investigation further led to the identification of 11 potential human trafficking victims. They were offered assistance and support by community and social service organisations.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office conducted the operation in conjunction with various other law enforcement agencies. The operation consisted of two simultaneous investigations: one targeting adults seeking to meet children for sexual purposes and a second focusing on human trafficking and prostitution-related offences.
The suspects are presumed innocent until found guilty in court.
Sources: Fox 13 Tampa Bay, NBC 6, WDWInfo
This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
