A Tampa firefighter and three other men were arrested Wednesday as part of a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office prostitution sting, the agency said.
According to the sheriff's office, Brian Hartzler, 46, attempted to solicit sexual acts from an undercover detective while in his Tampa Fire Rescue duty uniform. He was charged with one count of soliciting another to commit prostitution. He was booked into Hillsborough County Jail and released on $500 bond early Thursday,.Sheriff Chad Chronister said.
Hartzler's arrest was part of a sheriff's operation against human trafficking. The operation targeted johns—men soliciting prostitutes. Today's arrests were just one prong in a multi-faceted approach at combating human trafficking, Chronister said.
"By attacking prostitution head on, we are trying to take away the financial incentive behind trafficking and hopefully it sends a message to others that this won't be tolerated in Hillsborough County," he said.
The sheriff's office said.a total of 17 men engaged with undercover detectives in the University Community area of Tampa. Out of those 17, four were arrested Wednesday on charges of soliciting another to commit prostitution.
In addition to Hartzler, Jawuan Shaquille Hicks, 25; Lucio Martinez, 44; and Curtis Antoinne Hargrove, 30 were arrested..
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