Top Pentagon official who oversees federal schools arrested in human trafficking sting
A senior Pentagon official who oversaw federally run school systems in the Americas has been arrested in a human trafficking sting in Georgia.
The Coweta County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) announced the arrest of 26 people, including Stephen Hovanic, former chief of staff of the Americas division of the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), in connection with an alleged trafficking ring of people.
Apparently, Hovanic has held the position since 2010, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Authorities charged Hovanic, 64, with prostitution — a misdemeanor in Georgia — after he allegedly solicited sex in a motel room with an undercover officer, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.
“This type of operation is very important to us because, firstly, sex buyers are a huge problem in the industry. Without sex buyers, there would be no market for women to continue to be victims,” an agent told Fox 5 on condition of anonymity.
“Second, and probably most important to all of us, is the victimization of these women. There’s no good scenario for them in that lifestyle, so the goal is to get them out of that lifestyle.”
The federal school system has now listed Hovanic’s former position as chief of staff for the Americas as “vacant” on its website.
The two-day operation took place between November 15 and 16, resulting in the rescue of six human trafficking victims, who have since been “transferred to a safe location,” the Haralson County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) said in a statement. Georgia, who helped with the CCSO. investigation, said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“A total of 26 arrests were made, 12 for prostitution, 10 for pimping and four for pimping. Three of the individuals are currently under investigation on drug and human trafficking charges,” HCSO said.
The DoDEA told Channel 2 Action News in a statement that it is “aware of an alleged incident involving a DoDEA employee in the Americas region.”
“As legal proceedings are ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time. Any questions regarding the incident should be directed to the local law enforcement agency involved.”
DoDEA is described as “one of only two federally operated school systems” that is “responsible for planning, directing, coordinating, and managing pre-K through 12th grade educational programs on behalf of the Department of Defense (DoD),” according to their website.
DoDEA operates 160 schools located in 11 countries, seven states, Guam and Puerto Rico.
Source: www.lindaikejisblog.com