The Lake Oswego Police Department arrested six men during a human trafficking operation on Nov. 6 that brought together local, state and federal law enforcement.
The operation targeted sex buyers, sex providers and traffickers, according to an LOPD press release published Nov. 9. Officers also contacted three adult women who had agreed to exchange sex for compensation. Local advocates provided those women with resources and services.
Safety Compass, an Oregon-based advocacy organization for survivors of commercial sexual exploitation, assisted during the operation.
The department thanked a long list of partners: the Sandy, Milwaukie, West Linn, Oregon City and Gladstone police departments, Oregon State Police, the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, the Clackamas County District Attorney's Office, FBI Portland and Safety Compass.
The press release did not include the names of the six men arrested, specific charges or booking details.
The department also did not disclose the operation's location or the methods officers used.
The LOPD said such operations require extensive preparation. The department said it and other agencies "put a heavy focus on these types of operations to demonstrate commitment to community safety and commitment to providing resources to the many people who are victims of human trafficking."
The Nov. 6 operation is the latest in a series of similar efforts across Clackamas County. Lake Oswego police hosted a comparable mission in March 2023 that resulted in eight arrests, according to department records.
In that operation, law enforcement decoys were contacted by men who offered to pay for sexual acts. Eight men were arrested and charged.
In Clackamas County, sex buyers are sometimes eligible for diversion programs that include educational training, according to LOPD's 2023 records. KATU reported that during an Oct. 6 sting in Milwaukie, Deputy District Attorney Rachel Erickson called the county's Sex Buyers Accountability and Diversion program a "wake-up call" for participants.
Safety Compass can be reached at 971-235-0021. The National Human Trafficking Hotline is available at 888-373-7888.
