Well, pack it up, everyone. National Human Trafficking Awareness Month is officially over, and the Lubbock Police Department celebrated the only way they know how: with a massive, month-long game of “To Catch a Predator: West Texas Edition.”
LPD, Homeland Security, and a dizzying array of other acronyms finally confirmed what the rest of us have suspected while driving past those neon-lit “massage” parlors: the Hub City is apparently the regional headquarters for more than just cotton and questionable driving. The operation netted 20 felony arrests and rescued 10 victims who were promptly handed over to Voice of Hope—hopefully before any of the “fine upstanding citizens” on the arrest list could ask for a Yelp refund.
The roster of the 20 people arrested reads like a depressing LinkedIn feed for the morally bankrupt. We’ve got the usual suspects—your 63-year-olds looking for “relaxation,” a few guys resisting arrest (because why go quietly when you can add a felony to your Tuesday?), and even some “Aggravated Promotion” charges for the masterminds running the show.
Among the highlights is Wesley Adam Walker, who apparently showed up to the party with the “Lubbock Starter Pack”: solicitation charges, an unlawful weapon, marijuana, and enough Penalty Group 1 substances to start a pharmacy. Meanwhile, we’ve got people like William Bryan Terrell, who managed to get hit with “Interference with Public Duties” and “Resisting Arrest,” proving that some Lubbockites will fight for their right to be creepy with the same fervor they use to defend their favorite parking spot at H-E-B.
This whole operation follows the recent takedown of the Hot & Juicy Seafood empire, where we learned that “surf and turf” was apparently code for “coordinated prostitution ring.” Between the seafood joints and the half-dozen massage spas on Frankford and Slide, it’s getting to the point where you can’t buy a shrimp cocktail or a back rub in this town without inadvertently funding a criminal enterprise.
LPD says they’re “committed to the fight” even though the awareness month is over. That’s comforting. It only took a multi-agency task force and a dedicated national month of awareness to realize that the “Mindful Lotus Spa” might not have been focusing exclusively on mindfulness.
https://www.everythinglubbock.com/news/latest/multi-agency-human-trafficking-rescue/