Comedian John Oliver takes aim at Grady Judd in segment on stings

In the episode of Last Week Tonight that aired on March 22, 2026, John Oliver dedicated a main segment to Police Stings, specifically singling out Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd as a prime example of law enforcement using “theatrical” tactics to manufacture crimes.

Oliver’s critique focused on how these operations often prioritize headlines and “easy arrests” over actual public safety. Here are the key takeaways from the segment:

The Roast of “Sheriff Cinema”

Oliver mocked Judd’s penchant for giving undercover operations flashy, movie-like titles such as:

• Operation Cyber Guardian
• Naughty Not Nice 2
• Child Protector 2

Oliver joked that these sound less like legitimate police work and more like “straight-to-video Steven Seagal movies,” arguing that the primary goal seems to be creating viral moments and press conferences rather than dismantling criminal networks.

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The Core Allegations

The segment transitioned from humor to a serious critique of the Sheriff’s Office’s effectiveness and ethics:

• Manufacturing Crime: Oliver argued that many of Judd’s stings target individuals on dating sites who might never have committed a crime if the police hadn’t initiated the contact.
• The 12-Year-Old Victim Case: Oliver highlighted a disturbing case involving a young girl who reported sexual abuse by her adoptive father. Instead of a proper investigation, the Sheriff’s Office—distracted or incompetent due to its focus on stings—charged the girl with providing false information.
• Protecting vs. Pretending: In one of the segment’s sharpest lines, Oliver remarked:

“It makes you think that maybe Grady Judd’s Office would have been a little better at protecting an actual child if they weren’t spending all day pretending to be one online.”

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Judd’s Response

Sheriff Judd, never one to shy away from the spotlight, held a press conference shortly after the episode aired. While he touched on his recent viral recruitment of ICE and TSA agents (another topic Oliver mocked), he pushed back against the “media framing,” asserting that his tactics are necessary for “practical enforcement realities.”