Gulfport is a city of approximately 72,000 residents, situated along Mississippi’s southeast coast near Biloxi in Harrison County. Prostitution has been identified as a problem in the city for several decades; businesses and residents lodge complaints about prostitution to police, and federal authorities have investigated cases of illegal immigrants being harbored in the city for the purpose of engaging in prostitution. Gulfport police have conducted street-level reverse stings eight to nine times per year, on average, since 1992. They began conducting web-based stings in 2001, and conduct them about once per year. In 2006, they began releasing the identities of arrested sex buyers. Under state law, prostitution is punishable by a $200 fine and up to six months in jail.