Correction:

Alameda Sun incorrectly reported that the Alameda Police Department arrested James Hearn (“Police Perform Local Prostitution Sting,” May 7). The arrestee was John Brian Hearn, who is in no way related to James Hearn. 

The Alameda Police Department (APD), the FBI and several other law enforcement agencies conducted a sting operation that led to six people receiving a citation or being arrested on prostitution-like charges last Thursday, April 30.

“The operation is still ongoing,” said APD spokeswoman Lt. Jill Ottaviano. 

All the events of the sting were conducted on South Loop Road Thursday night between 7:40 and 11:32 p.m. Each arrest was made to separate individuals and not a part of a large human trafficking syndicate, according to Ottaviano. 

Five people given citations. They were cited and released at the scene. The group included two males (one male was John Brian Hearn who was cited for solicitation), two females and one unidentified person. 

Craig Lee, 54, was the only one arrested during the operation. Lee admitted to police that he agreed to engage in prostitution with a victim who he believed was a minor and sexually battered her, according to police reports. Lee was not listed on the Alameda County Inmate Locator website, so it is believed that he posted bail by Tuesday, May 5.  

Ottaviano said human trafficking is not any less of a problem in Alameda as it is in bigger cities. “Any city that has certain motels and extended-stay businesses, you’re going to have prostitution take place,” said Ottaviano. “It is at these types of businesses where these sort of things happen.”