Pentagon official overseeing federal schools arrested in Georgia human-trafficking sting
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A senior Pentagon official who oversaw federally operated school systems in the Americas has been arrested in a Georgia human-trafficking sting.
The Coweta County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) last week announced the arrests of 26 people, including Stephen Hovanic, former chief of staff for the Americas division of the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), in connection with an alleged human-trafficking ring.
Hovanic has apparently held the position since 2010, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Authorities charged Hovanic, 64, with pandering — a misdemeanor in Georgia — after he allegedly solicited sex in a motel room with an undercover agent, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.
“This kind of operation is really important to us, because, number one, sex buyers are a huge problem in the industry. Without sex buyers, there wouldn’t be a market for the females to continue to be victimized,” an agent told Fox 5 on the condition of an
“Second, and probably most importantly for all of us, is the victimization of these females. There’s not a good scenario for them in this lifestyle, so the goal is to get them out of this lifestyle.”
The Coweta County Sheriff’s Office conducted a Human Trafficking Operation on November 15 and 16, 2023, and requested the HCSO Special Ops Div to assist. During the two days, six victims of Human Trafficking were rescued and moved to safety.
1/2 pic.twitter.com/KPI72aOKNm— Haralson Co Sheriff GA (@HaralsonSheriff) November 20, 2023
Fox News Digital reached out to DoDEA on Friday but did not immediately receive a response.
The federal school system did, however, list Hovanic’s former position as chief of staff for the Americas as “vacant” on its website.
The two-day operation occurred between Nov. 15 and 16, resulting in the rescue of six human-trafficking victims, who have since been “moved to safety,” the Haralson County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) in Georgia, which assisted with the CCSO investigation, said in a Thursday post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“A total of 26 arrests were made, 12 for prostitution, 10 for pandering, and four for pimping. Three of the individuals are currently under investigation for human trafficking and drug 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 there are ongoing legal processes, 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,” 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 prekindergarten through 12th grade educational programs on behalf of the Department of Defense (DoD),” according to its website.
The DoDEA operates 160 schools located across 11 countries, seven states, Guam and Puerto Rico.
The school system employs about 15,000 people and serves nearly 70,000 children of military and DoD families.
“DoDEA is committed to ensuring that all school-aged children of military families are provided a world-class education that prepares them for postsecondary education and/or career success and to be leading contributors in their communities as well as in our 21st century globalized society,” the website states.
Pentagon official from Georgia arrested in undercover human trafficking sting
26 arrested in undercover human trafficking sting
An undercover human trafficking sting in Coweta County led to the arrest of 26 people. Among the 26 is a local man identified as a top children’s education official with the Pentagon. This is a story you’ll only see on FOX 5 Atlanta.
COWETA COUNTY, Ga. – An undercover human trafficking sting in Coweta County led to the arrest of 26 people, including a local man who has been identified as a top children’s education official with the Pentagon.
According to the military publication Stars and Stripes, 64-year-old Stephen Hovanic of Sharpsburg is the chief of staff for Defense Department schools in the United States.
Stephen Hovanic (Credit: Coweta County Sheriff’s Office)
The Coweta County Sheriff’s Office charged him with pandering, which is a misdemeanor in Georgia. Deputies say he allegedly solicited sex from an undercover officer in a motel room where the department had set up the two-day human trafficking operation.
During the sting, 26 people were arrested for crimes that included pandering, prostitution and pimping, according to deputies.
The sheriff’s office also says six women who they identified as victims of human trafficking were offered help.
Deputies say the human trafficking investigation continues and more arrests and charges are possible.
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SOURCE: https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/coweta-county-human-trafficking-pentagon-official-arrested