The FBI has been conducting a massive child sex trafficking sting across the country over the last few days. Some of the children being victimized were from Phoenix. The enforcement operation involved 47 FBI divisions across the country and led to the recovery of 105 children who had been forced into prostitution. Two of the victims were apprehended by the Phoenix division of the FBI.
Assistant FBI director Ron Hosko said the operation serves as a reminder that these abhorrent crimes can happen anywhere, but he said the FBI is committed to stopping the cycle of victimization.
In addition to the children who were recovered, law enforcement officials arrested 150 pimps as part of the Innocence Lost Initiative. Agents said such operations generally begin as local enforcement efforts, targeting truck stops, casinos and websites that advertise dating or escort services.