A senior Pentagon official overseeing federally operated school systems in the Americas has been arrested in a Georgia human trafficking sting. Stephen Hovanic, former chief of staff for the Americas division of the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), was arrested and charged with pandering after allegedly soliciting sex in a motel room with an undercover agent. The arrest was part of a larger operation that resulted in the rescue of six human trafficking victims.

Hovanic had held his position since 2010 according to his LinkedIn profile. The DoDEA, responsible for managing educational programs for military families, confirmed awareness of the alleged incident and stated that they were unable to comment further due to ongoing legal processes. As a result of the sting operation, a total of 26 arrests were made, with charges including prostitution, pandering, and pimping. Three individuals are also under investigation for human trafficking and drug charges. The DoDEA operates 160 schools across 11 countries, seven states, Guam, and Puerto Rico, serving approximately 70,000 children of military and DoD families.