Four arrested in Pierce County juvenile sex trafficking sting

DUPONT, Wash. - Four people are facing human trafficking and sexual abuse of a minor charges after a sting operation in Pierce County.

According to Washington State Patrol, suspects came to a hotel in DuPont from as far away as Tumwater to meet with people they believed were juveniles.

Officers rescued an at-risk juvenile who had been a victim of sex trafficking.

Detectives posed as the juveniles during the operation.

“While DuPont is a safe community, we are not naive to the fact that being situated along the I-5 corridor brings with it transient crime, to include human trafficking and child predators," Chief Douglas Newman of DuPont Police said. "The safety of our children and citizens is our number one priority, and we want to send a message to anyone who is thinking of victimizing the innocent: Don’t come to DuPont to hurt our kids or our community."