Schools
New Smyrna Beach middle school cleared after potential threat investigation
By Katherine Langford
Orange County deputy among 281 arrested in Polk County prostitution and human trafficking operation
Katherine Langford
Katherine Langford
Editor-in-Chief · Edina, MN
Katherine oversees editorial operations across all six brands. Before joining The Meridan Group, she spent 14 years at the Minneapolis Star Tribune, where she led the metro desk through its digital transformation. She holds a Master's in Journalism from Northwestern's Medill School.
More from Katherine →Editor-in-Chief · Friday, October 30, 2026 at 5:38 PM · 1 min read
An Orange County sheriff’s deputy was among 281 people arrested during a seven-day, multiagency operation in Polk County, authorities announced Friday.Eric Raymond, 40, appeared before a judge Monday after being arrested for soliciting a prostitute in Polk County.The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said Raymond was one of 281 people arrested during Operation Polk Around and Find Out II. Authorities said 17 theme park employees were also arrested, some on child sexual abuse charges.Of the 281 arrests, 239 were related to soliciting prostitutes, offering to commit prostitution, or aiding and abetting prostitutes.Related-- ‘Polk Around and Find Out’: 266 arrested in Central Florida human trafficking operationAnother 31 arrests were related to child sexual predators. The remaining 11 arrests were not specified.During Friday’s news conference, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier discussed the operation and the effort to keep offenders behind bars.In its initial release Monday, the Orange C
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