Miami Beach police arrested a 42-year-old man at the Tradewinds Apartments and Hotel near Pine Tree Drive after an undercover operation, and learned he is wanted in Ohio on aggravated assault charges tied to human trafficking investigations. Police identified the man as Freddie McClain. He was initially arrested on a prostitution charge.
The case started when detectives with the department’s Human Trafficking Task Force found an online prostitution advertisement. Police spokesman Christopher Bess said the person in the ad appeared to be a very young girl. An undercover detective arranged a meeting, and according to arrest documents, the woman gave directions to a room and quoted $300 to $500 for sexual services.
Once detectives were inside, they asked about McClain. The woman described him as a friend, the report says, and investigators found a photo of the two together and his contact information in her phone. Officers later found McClain in the hotel courtyard. Body camera video shows him being taken into custody, and he can be heard asking, “What did I do?”
Police have not released details about the Ohio case. Miami Beach police and Idaho State Police are coordinating the terms of McClain’s extradition. Bess said the timing matters because the holiday season and major events can bring a rise in human trafficking.
Residents said they were surprised. One neighbor said such cases are rare in the area, which is home to international and language students.
