California law enforcement officials arrested 14 people at San Diego’s Comic-Con Convention last week as part of a human trafficking sting.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that the state operated the sting to recover victims of sex trafficking and target sex buyers at Comic-Con.
The big picture: Along with making 14 arrests, law enforcement recovered 10 victims and offered them services.
- Law enforcement worked as undercover sex buyers to identify and contact potential victims of trafficking, which also led them to arrest their traffickers.
- Undercover officers also posted advertisements soliciting sex to arrest sex buyers.
- Nine of the victims recovered were adults, while one was a 16-year-old.
What they’re saying: “Unfortunately, sex traffickers capitalize on large scale events such as Comic-Con to exploit their victims for profit,” Rob Bonta said. “These arrests send a clear message to potential offenders that their criminal behavior will not be tolerated. We are grateful to all our dedicated partners involved in the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, whose collaboration has been invaluable. We take great pride in our office’s commitment to uplifting vulnerable Californians by offering them assistance and guidance when they need it most.”
- San Diego Sheriff Kelly Martinez said there is no more insidious crime than human trafficking.
- “The coercion and violence which enslaves people for profit and places them into forced labor or sex is criminal,” Martinez said. “As the Sheriff I support the efforts of all our justice partners in holding perpetrators accountable. I appreciate the focus that was placed on the recent convention to identify and rescue victims of human trafficking.”
