Executive Summary
- Alexander Steven Back, a 41-year-old employee of the Department of Homeland Security, was arrested in a Minnesota sex trafficking sting.
- The operation, named “Operation Creep,” involved a police decoy posing as a 17-year-old girl to catch suspects allegedly soliciting sex from a minor.
- Back was identified as an auditor for ICE and has been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation.
- He was released on a $75,000 bond and, according to jail records, has been charged with at least one count of prostitution.
A U.S. Department of Homeland Security employee was among 16 men arrested in Minnesota last week as part of a multiagency sex trafficking sting operation. The operation targeted individuals allegedly attempting to solicit sex from a person they believed was a minor, according to law enforcement officials.
The Arrest and Charges
Alexander Steven Back, 41, an auditor for Homeland Security Investigations and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), was arrested in the sting, dubbed “Operation Creep,” Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges announced. The suspects were apprehended after allegedly arranging to meet a police decoy they believed to be a 17-year-old girl at a hotel.
According to Hennepin County jail records, Back was arrested on Thursday and released on Saturday after posting a $75,000 bond. The records indicate he has been formally charged with at least one count of prostitution. Chief Hodges told reporters that upon his arrest, Back stated, “I’m ICE, boys.”
Agency Response
An ICE spokesperson confirmed that Back was hired in 2022 as an auditor for employment eligibility verification forms and is not a law enforcement officer. In a statement, the agency said, “Following his arrest, ICE immediately placed Alexander Back on administrative leave. ICE is working with local authorities as well as conducting its own investigation via the agency’s Office of Professional Responsibility.”
Investigation Details
The operation involved officers monitoring websites and applications known for use in sex trafficking. The 16 men arrested had engaged in conversations with the police decoy before arriving at the designated meeting location. The Hennepin County Attorney’s office has not yet released further details on the case. It is important to note that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.