168 Children rescued this week in sex-trafficking crackdown

Ambrosia · Jun 23, 2014

168 kids were rescued last week due to the FBI's annual Nationwide crackdown.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly 170 victims of child sex trafficking, many of whom had never been reported missing, were rescued in the last week as part of an annual nationwide crackdown, the FBI said Monday.

Besides the 168 children rescued from the sex trade, 281 pimps were arrested during the same period on state and federal charges.

The part in the first sentence really has me shaking my head in disbelief. It says many of the kids had never been reported missing. What? How do kids go missing in the U.S. and not get reported? How is that possible?

In the U.S.. I am sick.

"These are not faraway kids in faraway lands," FBI Director James Comey said in announcing the annual enforcement push known as Operation Cross Country. Instead, he added, "These are America's children."

This is the eighth such week-long operation, which this year unfolded in 106 cities. The FBI says nearly 3,600 children have so far been recovered from the street.

Operation Cross Country

Zoombie · Jun 23, 2014

Fan fucking tastic.

Maze Runner · Jun 23, 2014

Saw a Lisa Ling recently where she was in DC, 3 am Girls, I think it was. It happens all across the US of course, the world, but couldn't believe this could happen, young girls held as sex slaves, in the literal shadow of the White House. Glad for this news. Zero tolerance for anyone involved in this kind of business. No second chances, no parole, no pity. Disappear em all.

Ambrosia · Jun 23, 2014

bookmaker said:
Zero tolerance for anyone involved in this kind of business. No second chances, no parole, no pity. Disappear em all.

I'm with you.

Unimportant · Jun 23, 2014

Ambrosia said:
1 How do kids go missing in the U.S. and not get reported? How is that possible?

This is given as a reason:

Many of the children rescued in these latest raids had formerly been part of the child welfare system but no-one had reported them missing, the BBC's David Willis reports from Washington.

"We cannot find them if no one reports them missing," John Ryan, chief executive of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said, adding that in only two states were agencies required to report children missing from their care.

Officials said agencies may not report the children missing because some run away repeatedly and they may believe the children will return.

So, not the parents' fault, but the state's.

Also, I'd guess some of the kids' parents aren't in the country legally so they don't feel they can report their missing kids without major repercussions.

KimJo · Jun 24, 2014

Some of them aren't reported missing because of what Unimportant posted; they're part of the child welfare system.

Or their parents are illegal immigrants so are afraid to get involved with the police.

Or their parents just don't care; sadly, that happens.

And I would suspect in some cases, it's possible that these children were born into the sex trafficking trade, to mothers who were being trafficked.

I'm glad these children were rescued. I hope our systems don't fail them again, and they're given the help and therapy they'll need to recover.

raburrell · Jun 24, 2014

I can't even begin to describe what I think of the people who perpetuate this stuff - the traffickers, their clientele - gah.

I'm glad for these children. Sad for the thousands more still at risk.

Vince524 · Jun 24, 2014

I'm grateful they were rescued, but I imagine that they have a long road ahead of them to be able fully heal from this, if that's even possible. The kind of lasting damage this can do to them... It's simply staggering.

I just don't have to words to fully express my sympathy towards them or outrage towards those who did this to them.

Maze Runner · Jun 24, 2014

Vince524 said:
I just don't have to words to fully express my sympathy towards them or towards those who did this to them.

Am I reading this right? I thought I was the resident bleeding heart. I'm usually able to see the big picture, the victim that became the perp. But there is just something unforgivably heinous about this kind of criminal activity. You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din.

EffinGoose · Jun 24, 2014

Vince524 said:
I just don't have to words to fully express my sympathy towards them or towards those who did this to them.

I know I'm repeating what the poster said above me, but- really? I'm all about reducing police overreach and reforming prison so it is mostly rehabilitative rather then punitive.

But these people are turning rape into a commodity. They've pretty much turned in their humanity cards at the door.

raburrell · Jun 24, 2014

I shouldn't speak for Vince, and his post did make me read twice as well, but I think he meant to say that he doesn't have words for the perpetrators, not sympathy - (a sentence construction issue rather than an overabundance of bleeding heart)

EffinGoose · Jun 24, 2014

Ah! Okay, in rereading it, that makes sense!

Vince524 · Jun 24, 2014

bookmaker said:
Am I reading this right? I thought I was the resident bleeding heart. I'm usually able to see the big picture, the victim that became the perp. But there is just something unforgivably heinous about this kind of criminal activity. You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din.

Um... I meant to say my outrage at those who did this. Sorry. I'll edit.

Vince524 · Jun 24, 2014

Vince524 said:
I'm grateful they were rescued, but I imagine that they have a long road ahead of them to be able fully heal from this, if that's even possible. The kind of lasting damage this can do to them... It's simply staggering.

I just don't have to words to fully express my sympathy towards them or outrage towards those who did this to them.

bookmaker said:
Am I reading this right? I thought I was the resident bleeding heart. I'm usually able to see the big picture, the victim that became the perp. But there is just something unforgivably heinous about this kind of criminal activity. You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din.

EffinGoose said:
I know I'm repeating what the poster said above me, but- really? I'm all about reducing police overreach and reforming prison so it is mostly rehabilitative rather then punitive.

But these people are turning rape into a commodity. They've pretty much turned in their humanity cards at the door.

raburrell said:
I shouldn't speak for Vince, and his post did make me read twice as well, but I think he meant to say that he doesn't have words for the perpetrators, not sympathy - (a sentence construction issue rather than an overabundance of bleeding heart)

This. ^^^^ Sorry.
It's what I get for posting on the run.

MarkEsq · Jun 24, 2014

Yeah, you'd be shocked. As a result of a cop buddy being put in charge of the human trafficking unit here, I work with them on these cases. I talked to one HT detective this morning and we had a laugh - the FBI got credit for this, but for the bust here in Austin there were 31 Austin cops and one FBI agent involved. We didn't bother the media about the misrepresentation because it's not about getting credit, for these guys it's about taking predators off the street. They do good work.

Maze Runner · Jun 25, 2014

Vince524 said:
This. ^^^^ Sorry.
It's what I get for posting on the run.

I should have guessed as much. It's what I get for reading on the run.

MarkEsq said:
Yeah, you'd be shocked. As a result of a cop buddy being put in charge of the human trafficking unit here, I work with them on these cases. I talked to one HT detective this morning and we had a laugh - the FBI got credit for this, but for the bust here in Austin there were 31 Austin cops and one FBI agent involved. We didn't bother the media about the misrepresentation because it's not about getting credit, for these guys it's about taking predators off the street. They do good work.

Fascinating. I can imagine it's satisfying to get these guys off the street.

Thanks for your work!

Gilroy Cullen · Jun 25, 2014

Don't know why this thought popped into my head...

I wonder, since this is the 8th year doing this, if the FBI can find kids who are "Repeat Rescues," for lack of a better term. Maybe trace them back to a place where things go wrong, be it the system or the foster families.

My heart weeps for the lost innocence, but I'm outraged that someone would exploit children like this.

Put these pimps in the general prison population and make sure it's known that they exploited children. Doubt they'd last a week.

168 Children rescued this week in sex-trafficking crackdown

Ambrosia

Grand Duchess

Zoombie

Dragon of the Multiverse

Maze Runner

Ambrosia

Grand Duchess

Unimportant

No COVID yet. Still masking.

KimJo

Outside the box, with the werewolves

raburrell

Treguna Makoidees Trecorum SadisDee

Vince524

Are you gonna finish that bacon?

Maze Runner

EffinGoose

raburrell

Treguna Makoidees Trecorum SadisDee

EffinGoose

Vince524

Are you gonna finish that bacon?

Vince524

Are you gonna finish that bacon?

MarkEsq

Clever title pending.

Maze Runner

Gilroy Cullen

Handsome servant of a redhead