In late June 2025, the Eden Prairie Police Department led a coordinated undercover operation targeting individuals soliciting sex from minors. The result: 12 arrests, all men aged between 24 and 46 who believed they were arranging commercial sex with a 17-year-old girl, who was actually an undercover officer (Eden Prairie Local News, 2025).
Operation & Coordination
The operation unfolded on June 23, 2025, as part of the 494 Corridor Group — a multi-agency task force including the police departments of Bloomington, Edina, Maple Grove, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Richfield, and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office (Eden Prairie Local News, 2025). Sting ads advertised an underage sex worker, and arrests occurred when the suspects showed up at a designated meet-up location.
Arrests & Legal Action
The suspects came from communities across the Twin Cities metro (and one from Wisconsin). Eleven out of the 12 arrested individuals have been formally charged with felony prostitution involving a minor (ages 16–17), punishable under Minnesota law by up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine. One case remains under review (Eden Prairie Local News, 2025).
Since 2016, Eden Prairie detectives have participated in 38 similar sting operations, leading to 401 arrests and connecting with 117 identified victims, many of whom were offered support services including housing and job training (Eden Prairie Local News, 2025).
What This Reveals
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Demand-focused enforcement: Targeting buyers rather than victims reflects a proactive legal approach to disrupting human trafficking.
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Effective collaboration: The Interstate 494 corridor task force model illustrates cross-agency coordination to combat regional exploitation.
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Ongoing victim support: Arrests led to referrals for services that aid recovery and reintegration—even during investigations.
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Structural vulnerabilities: The dense hotel and transit corridor along I‑494 was identified as a hot zone for solicitation.
Why It Matters
This law enforcement success underscores how persistent demand fuels sex trafficking—and how coordinated regional efforts can reduce that demand and protect vulnerable communities. It also highlights the need for transparency and stronger oversight across jurisdictions that intersect high-risk corridors.
References
Eden Prairie Local News. (2025, June 27). Eden Prairie police sting leads to 12 arrests in attempted child exploitation case. Eden Prairie Local News. https://www.eplocalnews.org/2025/06/27/eden-prairie-police-sting-leads-to-12-arrests-in-attempted-child-exploitation-case/
Fox 9 Minneapolis–St. Paul. (2025, June 27). 12 men arrested for soliciting a minor in Eden Prairie human trafficking sting. Fox 9 Minneapolis–St. Paul. https://www.fox9.com/news/eden-prairie-human-trafficking-sting-june-27-2025
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