19 kids rescued, 12 suspected pimps arrested in Detroit
Detroit Free Press
Posted On October 14, 2015
Nineteen children who were forced into prostitution have been rescued and 12 suspected pimps arrested in an FBI sting in Detroit that was part of a national effort to combat sex trafficking involving children as young as 12 years old, authorities announced.
“When kids are treated as a commodity in seedy hotels and on dark roadsides, we must rescue them from their nightmare and severely punish those responsible for that horror,” FBI Director James Comey said in a news release. “We simply must continue to work with our partners to end the scourge of sex trafficking in our country.”
The sting announced Tuesday was a result of the local efforts of Operation Cross Country IX, a ninth-annual enforcement action and the largest to date, leading to national results of 149 sexually-exploited children rescued and more than 150 pimps and others arrested, according to a news release Tuesday from the FBI.
“More than 500 law enforcement officials took part in sting operations in hotels, casinos, truck stops, and other areas frequented by pimps, prostitutes, and their customers. The youngest recovered victim was 12 years old,” according to the news release.
David P. Gelios, special agent in charge of the FBI Detroit Division, made the announcement Tuesday alongside several other federal and local authorities. The FBI’s Innocence Lost National Initiative involves partnering with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, along with state and local law enforcement partners across the country to combat criminal enterprises involving commercial sex trafficking of children.
The Detroit operation was among the most successful in the country, according to the FBI.
“Our office is pleased with the success of the operation in metro Detroit, but we, along with all of our law enforcement partners, do not stop here,” Gelios said. “This is all part of an ongoing effort to continue to free victims of human trafficking, and arrest the individuals that commit these crimes.”
Michigan State Police assisted in the investigation, according to Captain Monica Yesh.
“The Michigan State Police continue to support the efforts to combat human trafficking and rescue victims from the manipulation and constraints of suspects who take advantage of vulnerable children and adults in our community,” Yesh said. “Our department is committed to working with our law enforcement partners enforcing human trafficking laws and arresting the suspects who facilitate these horrific acts.”
Since the Innocence Lost program started in 2003, about 4,800 sexually exploited children have been recovered and more than 2,000 pimps and others have been convicted, including at least 15 cases resulting in life sentences, according to the FBI.
“During Operation Cross Country, nearly 100 victim specialists from the FBI’s Office for Victim Assistance provided on-scene services to recovered young victims. Services included crisis intervention as well as resources for basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, and medical attention,” according to the news release, which added that stabilizing the children and getting their lives moving in a positive direction is the victim specialists’ “main goal.”
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