By Jerald Jimenez
Nov 27, 2023, 10:15 AM EST
A former Pentagon chief who oversaw federally operated school systems in the Americas was arrested in a human trafficking operation in Georgia.
The Coweta County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) announced last week the arrest of 26 people, including Stephen Hovanic, 64, who was chief of staff for the Americas division of the Department of Education Activity Department of the Department of Defense ( DoDEA), in relation to an alleged human trafficking network.
The two-day operation took place between Nov. 15 and 16 and aimed to identify and apprehend sex buyers and rescue human trafficking victims, according to CCSO.
The operation had the collaboration of several local and state police agencies, as well as non-governmental organizations that provide support to victims.
Authorities charged Hovanic with pimping after he allegedly solicited sex in a motel room with an undercover agent, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. Hovanic has apparently held the position since 2010, according to his LinkedIn profile.
“This type of operation is really important to us because, first of all, sex buyers are a big problem in the industry. Without sex buyers, there would be no market for women to continue being victimized,” one agent told FOX 5 on condition of anonymity.
“Second, and probably most important for all of us, is the victimization of these women. “There is no good scenario for them in this lifestyle, so the goal is to get them out of this lifestyle,” the agent added.
CCSO reported that six human trafficking victims were rescued and have since been “moved to a safe location,” according to a Thursday post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“A total of 26 arrests were made, 12 for prostitution, 10 for pimping and four for pandering. Three of the individuals are currently under investigation for human trafficking and drug charges,” CCSO noted.
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 there are ongoing legal proceedings, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time. Any questions about the incident should be directed to the local law enforcement agency involved,” the entity said.
The DoDEA is described as “one of only two federally operated school systems that is “responsible for planning, directing, coordinating, and managing preschool through 12th grade educational programs on behalf of the Department of Defense (DoD),” its official said. website.