More than 250 people were arrested — including a former NFL linebacker — earlier this month in a multiagency undercover operation to combat human trafficking, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office announced.

The sheriff’s office conducted “Operation Fool Around and Find Out” from May 2-10 with help from numerous local and federal law enforcement agencies, including the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Polk Sheriff Grady Judd spoke about the backgrounds of some arrested during a Friday news conference — including Adarius Taylor, a retired NFL linebacker who played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers and Cleveland Browns.

He said Taylor brought his 6-year-old to the site of the sting operation and left the child inside his car when he went inside. The child was immediately recovered by the Florida Department of Children and Families, which assisted the operation.

Taylor was arrested on felony negligent child abuse without bodily harm and misdemeanor solicitation of prostitution charges, according to his arrest affidavit.

“Obviously he must have hit one too many people as a linebacker, because his brain cells are scrambled,” Judd said.

A news release from the Polk sheriff’s office said that of the 255 arrested, 141 were charged with soliciting prostitutes; 93 with offering to commit prostitution; 10 with offenses related to prostitution such as aiding and abetting or transporting prostitutes; and 11 with traveling to meet a minor for sex or other child sex crimes. Almost all of the charges were misdemeanors.

Four people were identified as possible victims of human trafficking and offered services, including one from Ocoee.

Of those arrested, 221 were from outside Polk — including 10 from Orlando, two from Kissimmee, two from Casselberry, one from St. Cloud and one from Windermere — and the states of Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Those from outside the country were from as far away as Brazil.

Judd emphasized during the news conference that 36 of those arrested were undocumented migrants and praised ICE.

“There’s been a change of administration … and now we are allowed to have ICE with us,” he said. “I can’t say enough good about ICE … they are hand-in-glove with us every day. They have a mission from the president of the United States.”

Judd said law enforcement agencies across the country should undertake similar multiagency operations and this won’t be his last.

“A word to the wise: There’ll be another one,” he said. “Fool around and find out. See you later.”