Police arrested a Yakima man in Ellensburg following a human trafficking operation to arrest sex traffickers and help trafficked women.

Kittitas County Sheriff's Office says, in that initial operation May 22-23, they identified a 37-year-old man but did not arrest him.

The man allgedly expressed interest in paying to have sex with a juvenile female. Detectives followed up and on Friday, the man drove to a location in Ellensburg to pick up the girl. Instead, detectives and Ellensburg Police officers arrested him and booked him into the Kittitas County Jail.

“Nothing we do is more important than looking out for kids," said Chief Deputy Ben Kokjer. "We absolutely prioritize crimes against our community’s children and will take every opportunity to arrest and prosecute those looking to harm

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