FBI Arrests 600 People, Rescues 47 Children In Massive US Child Prostitution Rings

WASHINGTON — More than 600 adults have been arrested and 47 children rescued in a three-day roundup targeting people who force children into prostitution.

The FBI said the roundup by federal, state and local law enforcement occurred in 29 cities, adding that the raids dismantled 12 large-scale prostitution operations run through call services, truck stops, casinos and Web sites.

At a news conference announcing the results of Operation Cross Country II, FBI Deputy Director John Pistole said the arrests were made possible by intelligence gathered during a similar series of raids in June.

"Sex trafficking of children remains one of our most violent and unconscionable crimes in this country," Pistole said.

The 47 rescued children ranged in age from 13 to 17, and all but one are female. Of these, Pistole said, 10 had been reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

A total of 642 people were arrested. The FBI says they include 73 pimps and 518 adult prostitutes.

The operation was part of a larger, five-year initiative that has led to the recovery of 575 children and the dismantling of 36 criminal operations since June 2003.

Child prostitution has taken on a new urgency in recent years with the growth of online networks where pimps advertise the youngsters to clients. The FBI generally gets involved in child prostitution cases that cross state lines.

A University of Pennsylvania study estimated that nearly 300,000 children in the United States are at risk of being sexually exploited for commercial purposes.

"Make no mistake, the minors who were interdicted as a part of this operation are victims of the most extreme form of sex trafficking," said acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich.

"It sadly remains the case even now in 2008 that there remain instances of children in the United States manipulated into prostitution by pimps willing to make a fast buck based on the most vulnerable among us," he said.

Comments

[Kerris]

Before I say my peace, I will make it clear to the waiting attack squad that I do think that forced prostitution of any individual, male or female, at any age, is abominable. It is a form of slavery. It is a human rights abuse. It must be erradicated.

That said.... I was confused and alarmed by the divergence between the headline and the content of the story. The word "child" denotes and connotes very young people, usually thought of as people below the watershed of puberty. The human beings in question, whose rights and persons were violated, were by and large adolescents.

My problem is that calling them "children" invokes not just the horrid spectre of forced prostitution, but the crime of pedophilia as well. The article gives the impression that all prostitution is pedophilic and plays into the hysteria that pedophilia is more rampant than it is.

And befor the proverbial you ask -- yes, I am the mother of four children and adolecents, aged 3 years to 16 years. I know of what I speak. Exploiting any of them would be abhorrent, but my 3 year old is a child and my 16 year old an adolocent. Their abilities to think, choose, act and recover from abuse would be widely different. The people looking to use and abuse them, again widely different.

We need to know what we are really speaking about, so we can really tackle this properly. Not inflame minds and hearts and overblow the

[RealHRCFansVoteObama]

16-year-olds may look like adults, but as a mother you also know 16 is NOT an adult. They think they care ready for adult decisions but have no perspective to inform their judgment.

And even if these 16-year-olds were not dragged kicking and screaming into prostitution, we have to ask ourselves how they came to be in the vicinity of the people who would lure them in? Were they in a situation where they had a real choice to say no?

I remember when the 16-year-old daughter of a family member ran away from her mother's house, and our family's biggest fear was that a girl with no education, no employment prospects and little knowledge of how to navigate the world would be easy prey.

As far as the hysteria surrounding pedophilia, consider that at least 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 7 boys will be molested by the time they are 13 - usually by someone they know. That statistically significant enough to make this mother somewhat paranoid on a daily basis.

[Kerris]

I didn't say they were adults. I said they were adolecents. There is a distinct differnce. As there is a difference between both of those and children.

I knew there would be those ready to pounce before actually thinking about what was said.

[Kerris]

As for the stats you quoted, RealHRCFans, and my use of the word hysteria, please take the time to review important information and research like this:

http://www.jimhopper.com/abstats/#s-statistics

The truth about what is happening is vital to know how to tackle it. Overblown stats do very little other than inflame the minds of good people trying to do good, they hamper real efforts and disburse resources. We need real answers to these heinous problems, not simply more reasons to be irate.

[spartanmom]

Under 18 = Child LEGALLY

In some jurisdictions they use INFANT for anyone under age.

Headline is completely appropriate

[Kerris]

That is not true (no matter how many caps you turn on).

In the USA, the legal definition of a child is "a person 14 years and under. A child should be distinguished from a minor who is anyone under 18 in almost all states. "

[ebanks84]

The point of the article is missing to you when you can spend unnecessary time arguing whether they are children are not. They were NOT ADULTS and were not able to legally consent to their treatment one way or the other. That is the point. So what anybody cares to call them is a moot point. What happened to them is the story.

[Kerris]

What is pointless is wasting time on sensationalism when only the truth will put us on the road to solving crimes like this and making sure they do not happen again.

As I said to someone else here, this specialist on child abuse says it better than I do:

http://www.jimhopper.com/abstats/#s-statistics

The truth about what is happening is vital to know how to tackle it. Overblown stats do very little other than inflame the minds of good people trying to do good, they hamper real efforts and disburse resources. We need real answers to these heinous problems, not simply more reasons to be irate.

[phlashba]

I agree with you completely. The headline is (intentionally) misleading. The crimes are bad enough they don't need sensationalism.

[lmrgreen]

Are you splitting hairs over something so important? Adolescent vs. child? Are you KIDDING ME? I'm sorry, as the mother of a now-adult molested child - I don't really give a F - - C-K about the difference between adolescent and child!!! Sexual exploitation is plain wrong and evil whether it's a 15 year old CHILD (yes, they are still children, no matter how hard they try to convince us they are not) or a 5 year old. And although the ages of the children are listed as 13 to 17, nothing is mentioned as to how long these children were held as slaves to these prostitution rings.

I'm sorry, your attitude is cavalier, especially when you discuss a child's vs adolescent's ability to recover from abuse. You have no idea what these children have been through, how they came to be part of these prostitution rings, and how old they were when they were coerced into prostitution. And make no mistake, no matter how old they were, it was coercion of some form or another. 15 or 16 year olds don't walk out the door one day and make a career choice to sell their bodies.

[Oldbuck]

The thing that struck me is this has been going on for some time and it seems we have know about it why have we just now done something about this. This is terrible something should have been done earlier makes you wonder.

[zann]

What struck me is that up until your 18th birthday you're a victim. The next day you're an "adult prostitute".

[miatch]

And the age varies from state to state, country to country. Having an agreed upon Age of Consent might be a noble and societal beneficial code, but it is a construct all the same. Why we decide that there are magical age milestones of responsibility is interesting though. Why 16 to drive, 18 to vote, 21 to drink, 35 to be president?

[Mort]

Do you have children?

[MajorKong]

The Baby Boomers got the drinking age lowered to 18 so that they could drink and then raised it back to 21 so their kids couldn't drink.

[spartanmom]

Plus if you have been pimped around since you were 14 your development has been seriously damaged and delayed. There is no way you can have the emotional and intellectual where-with-all to function as an adult

[Sintari]

Exactly.

[southphillyitaliana]

Seriously wonder if there are any decent men left in the world.

[ajr08]

Seriously? Could you possibly paint with a broader brush?

[USLabor]

No, south philly idiot, there are no decent men left in the world. Every last man in the world uses a child prostitute. What a ridiculous remark.

[SeattleCharles]

Nope, none here!

[BeeOplentee]

Sadly, it appears that nine out of ten American men seem to have have engaged in this kind of recreation.

[rektruax]

I would really need to see the paper work on that claim... It's source, and the criteria of " this kind of recreation.".

[Atlas Shrugged]

You're a loon.

[breezyholler]

This is all part of a deeper social sickness . As a nation we have become complacent and irresponsible in adhering to morality and the rule of law.WE THE PEOPLE have traded in reason and righteousness ...for riches and recklessness..The pursuit of wealth has led too many parents to turn their backs on their children, thereby leaving them ill informed to deal with the evil that exist all around us ..Rap Music has denigrated women and glorified the pimp. Anyone who brings harm to a child for profit or pleasure should be considered inhuman and punished accordingly...It boggles my mind that child molesters are given so many chances . I wish there were a "devil's island" like prison for all these sickos...put them there forever and let them feed on each other...

[USLabor]

How did you ever arrive at nine out of ten American men? And what kind of recreation, using a child prostitute? If that's what you mean I think your numbers are way off.

[captainindustry]

i would kill myself before i violated a child.

[sadcorps]

Did anyone else notice how weird that only 10 out of the 47 children had been reported missing? Does that mean 37 of these children were sold or brought into this by their parents?

[ajr08]

Sadly, that is most likely due to them being runaways.

[KenGirard]

If they are runaways...wouldn't their parents have reported them missing? So that means that 37 of these kids have never been reported as runaways.

I remember kids back when I was that age who turned the occasional trick to get money. Young girls learning that they could make more money in a night then Dad made working a minimum wage job all week.

Also, be aware that in the world of prostitution, truck stops are pretty much the lowest level you can get to, and is the place that the occasional prositute is likely to go as there is little chance that you are going to get picked up by someone you know. Doesn't help any that they only put truckstops in the poorer sections of towns. You often see underage kids hanging out at them late at night... a lot of them due to it being the only place to go at 11pm in a small town if you can't go to a bar.

[Carolab]

I wonder how many were Republicans.

[Carolab]

Stop Republican pedophiia:

http://www.armchairsubversive.org/

My cousin was a victim of the Franklin cover-up scene in Omaha. I have a special place in hell reserved for these people.

[AKJM]

Maybe, instead of outlawing marijauna, drugs like viagra shuld be illegal.

[LiberalBuzz]

Interesting thing about the article. As despicable as the entire thing was, it appears that very few, if any, johns were arrested. The report said 73 pimps, and 518 prostitutes. 591 people.

So what or who were the other 51 people?

[SueEll]

Hope they arrest the "customers" too.

[piquet]

that would mean no GOP

[Miravanguild]

I do search and rescue and detection of human remains with my dogs.. One of my instructors is very involved with missing and exploited children, this is a victory for him..

[ThePeacemakers]

Just a little off topic...but goes to the subject of pedophilia:
The fathers of many babies by teenage girls are adult men, not their teen-age classmates.
Yes, it's 2008 but too many men think women are here as property - you think R. Kelley would have walked if the "alleged" videotape of him had been with an underage boy? No way. He'd be under the jail right now...but with young girls, men think it's kind of accepted. Ron Woods anyone? Jerry Lee Lewis? We see it among the groupies of athletes and rock stars and rap stars and it's just as prominent among the non-famous.

My friends, the world has a SERIOUS pedophilia problem.

[LiberalBuzz]

R Kelly walked because the prosecution could not prove it was him on the tape. The inconsistencies were obvious to anyone who saw the tape. The tape was sent accusing him of being in it but they couldn't prove it was him.

THAT is why he walked. It had nothing to do with the sex of the minor.

[miatch]

Blurring the line between Pedophilia (a real and horrible disease) and age of consent, a social construct which while noble varies across time and culture is not useful. The above article is a discussion of the later, not the former.

[slaxx]

uh...no i think it was the former. 13 years old - that is a child.

[NeverRepublican]

And we are worried about people from "eye-rack" coming over here to harm us? And what about the murder rate in the good 'ole usa? We have enough trouble right here to clean up.

[webmachiavelli]

Maybe you should ask yourself why it is all those democrat controlled cities seem to have suchhigh murder rates.

[NeverRepublican]

Have you checked out Texas lately...or Florida??? NOT a pretty sight in this light...nice try though.

[NeverRepublican]

Here are 2006 stats...doesn't seem to have anything to do with re-dork-licans or dems...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_cities_by_crime_rate

[NeverRepublican]

Isn't it nice to have "reliable statistics at your finger-tips?

Those days of re-dork-lican assertions are over with.

[ChimpNchief]

Yeah, Republicans are always setting such a great example for our youth:

http://www.dkosopedia.com/wiki/Republican_Sex_Scandals

Of course this leaves out all the priests and clergy abusing children.

Mark F0ley
Ted H@ggard etc.

[boophus]

Maybe you should ask yourself why the Bible belt has the highest rates of sexual abuse of children and Rape. Maybe you should ask yourself why so many republicans love to use children or women who are chid sized.

[tiger313]

round up the usual (republican) suspects. They LIVE for this kind of thing.

[webmachiavelli]

You should seriously be banned from this website. This sort of criminal behavior has nothing to do with political ideology.

[miatch]

I would argue there is a political ideology that could reduce the likelihood of this crime, and that is Libertarianism. Legalize prostitution, and document the prostitutes. Give adults the opportunity to buy and sell this service out in the open, and then the Johns could know that the prostitute is of legal age, and does not feel enslaved.

[RobinSeattle]

While there are deviants on both sides of the aisle (a Democrat Representative, George Wilber, recently resigned after he settled with the family of a minor he molested http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-wilber1022.artoct22,0,2710161.story), the GOP seems to show up way more than one would expect for a party which has positioned itself as virtuecrats: http://www.republicansexoffenders.com/
http://www.armchairsubversive.org/

[NeverRepublican]

Wow...your comment above asks...

"Maybe you should ask yourself why it is all those democrat controlled cities seem to have suchhigh murder rates."

And you have the nerve to say criminal behavior has nothing to do with political ideoloty????

Put down the beer.

[FarOutFish]

Tiger you are proof that stupidity is non-partisan.

[webmachiavelli]

Exactly

[whoknew---]

Year ago my husband worked at Greyhound when he was a kid. The people that worked at that Greyhound used to help the young prostitutes get on the bus to get away from pimps that were looking for them.

Everyone can be a hero for a moment if they are given the opportunity. Remember that....

[Ladyvoice]

Bravo to the Greyhound group! What a great reminder... that we can all do something. Don't turn away. This is NOT a victimless crime.

[miatch]

If we legalized prostitution, we could better control it. John's could know that the women were adults making a career choice. Keeping prostitution illegal makes it impossible to know the prostitutes real age or whether or not they feel enslaved.

[webmachiavelli]

Obviously you don't understand crime. If you create law you create a criminal. The reality is you can legalize prostitution and there will still be some people who game it. There are new stories regularly of under-age women working in strip joints. Seems to me legalizing that didn't prevent the use of minors in it.

[miatch]

Have you been to Amsterdam? I have. The prostitutes regularly check in with the government. You can be certain they are of age and do not feel enslaved.

Now there may still be underground illegal underage prostitution there, but of course there is going to be a smaller market for it. Why buy something illegally, when the legal product is available for sale?

[NeverRepublican]

And your daughter can go to the front of the line...as a minor too!

[slaxx]

yes it will help prevent minors because the legal, of-age prositutes will turn in the young ones who they see as a threat to their business.

plus by regulating it you ensure the women's safety (from attacks by pimps and customers), as well as the men's through testing for STD's. just because a solution isn't perfect isn't a reason not to do it when it would greatly improve the situation for all.

plus, the business will bear the cost of complying with regulations; fines on businesses who have violations will pretty much over the cost of regulation and it's still a lot cheaper than stings, court, and jail costs. our police resources could be better used in other areas.

[Mort]

This is about pedophilia, not prostitution. Big difference. If you want to pay for sex without guilt, move to Nevada, or the Netherlands. Then again, why not put down the keyboard, get a real relationship and never have to pay for sex again!

[colleen2]

The notion that 'we' could better control prostitution were it legal is as silly and disingenous an argument as the idea that men who have sex with 13 and 14 year olds are shocked to discover that they were underage.
I'm pleased the FBI broke up the ring, disappointed that the disgusting men who deliberately seek out 13 and 14 year olds to buy weren't also arrested and their names and crimes made public.