Lawmakers and charities respond to North Texas sex trade arrest

News of clandestine sexual exploitation in Frisco and Southlake has shocked many in these suburban communities, but those working to end human trafficking say it’s no surprise.

Forty-six people were arrested during the January 12 and 13 operation at the Hilton hotels in Southlake Town Square and the Hyatt near the Stonebriar Center in Frisco. Undercover officers posed online as commercial sex workers, authorities said.

Those arrested included a high school teacher and coach, a youth pastor, and the operations director of a major hospital chain.

“Unfortunately, I was not shocked. I’ve been working on this issue for many years,” Matt Osborne told New Friends New Life. “Frisco, Southlake, those are really great neighborhoods, right? Unfortunately, there are clients there. That’s where a middle-aged man in his 40s and 50s with a six-figure income often finds himself.”

Osborne is working with a Dallas nonprofit to educate men about and hopefully prevent sex trafficking.

“We want men to know this isn’t Pretty Woman with Julia Roberts,” Osbourne said. “These are victims of human trafficking, not prostitutes there of their own free will and consent.”

In 2021, Texas made buying sex a felony. The Texas legislature has decided to shift the blame from prostitutes, many of whom are often victims of human trafficking.

A conviction for soliciting prostitution can result in two years in state prison.

On Tuesday, Collin County Representative Matt Shaheen addressed the recent sting during a press conference with reporters in Austin.

He announced the passage of a law that would make the punishment even harsher for those who prostitute a victim of human trafficking.

“We need to address the problem of sex trafficking on the demand side,” Rep. Matt Shaheen said.

Osborne hopes the recent arrests in Frisco and Southlake will deter others.

“It’s a crime, and it’s not a victimless crime,” Osborne said.

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