RICHMOND, Texas (KIAH) — The Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office along with the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance and partnering agencies conducted a multi-day proactive operation dubbed Operation New Year.

The operation, conducted in Sugar Land, targeted illicit sexually-oriented businesses and resulted in 29 arrests and one shut-down massage parlor.  The operation aimed to combat human trafficking in Fort Bend County by identifying and arresting those intending to buy sex, also known as “johns.”

Through a cooperation with the property owner, the DA’s office was able to shut down the massage parlor and evict the tenant, then used the location to stage an undercover sting operation where law enforcement allegedly received solicitations for sex from prospective buyers.

The DA’s office said that it has filed 31 charges, including solicitation of prostitution, resisting arrest and drug-related offenses.

Fort Bend County District Attorney Brian Middleton congratulated the team on the results and further stressed the importance of being proactive, “Our goal is to keep our community safe from crime and eradicate human trafficking in its entirety.

“Again, whether in a residential neighborhood or commercial establishment, we are watching. Fort Bend County is, and will continue to be, one the safest places to live because of operations like this. We are setting the tone – do not come to Fort Bend County to commit crime.”