Janice R. Andrews
San Diego, California – Authorities reported that during a human sex trafficking raid at the San Diego Comic-Con Convention, 14 people were taken into custody and 10 victims were saved. Prior to the arrest, the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force carried out a three-day operation, California Attorney General Rob Bonta disclosed on Tuesday. A sixteen-year-old girl was one among the people saved.
“Unfortunately, sex traffickers capitalize on large-scale events such as Comic-Con to exploit their victims for profit,” Bonta said. “These arrests send a clear message to potential offenders that their criminal behavior will not be tolerated.”
The attorney general’s office claims that law enforcement agents went undercover as sex purchasers in order to seek potential victims and identify and apprehend traffickers. As part of the investigation, undercover officers also posted advertisements seeking sex.
Every year, nearly 100,000 people visit the renowned comic book and pop culture festival, which ended on Sunday at the San Diego Convention Center.
Christopher Davis, acting special agent in charge of HSI San Diego, stated, “When people use these events as an opportunity to prey upon minors, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and our law enforcement partners will find you and bring you before a court of law to face criminal charges.” “There is no place for alleged predators to operate in our city.”
The successful sting highlights the continued efforts made by law enforcement to stop human trafficking and safeguard those who are most vulnerable.
