Los Angeles, August 1: In a bold sting operation, undercover agents dressed as sex buyers rescued human sex trafficking victims at San Diego Comic-Con in Us, including a 16-year-old girl. The officials said on Wednesday, July 28, that US law enforcement agents have arrested at least 14 people involved in sex trafficking. A total of 10 victims were rescued, of whom nine were adults. The operation lasted from July 25 to July 27.

The San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, dressed as sex buyers, posted undercover advertisements seeking to arrest sex buyers, a report by WION said. According to authorities, around 5,000 people in San Diego County fall victim to sex trafficking. Through this operation, the force identified and arrested more than a dozen individuals participating in these illegal acts in the city. US Man Has Sex With Prostitute in Car While Infant Son Was in Backseat, Faces Prostitution and Child Endangerment Charges.

Approximately 135,000 people were anticipated to participate in the Comic-Con, held from Thursday to Sunday. Attorney General Rob Bonta said in the release that “unfortunately, sex traffickers capitalise on large-scale events such as Comic-Con to exploit their victims for profit.” Christopher Davis, acting special agent in charge for HSI San Diego, added that, "When people use these events as an opportunity to prey upon minors, 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.” US Human Trafficking Case: 15 Women Found Living at Princeton House With No Furniture, Indian Couple Among 4 Arrested for Running Forced Labour Scheme.

Following the incident, a spokesperson for Comic-Con said, "Obviously, we find this very disturbing, and while we were not made aware of this operation, it is our understanding that the arrests were made outside of the event." He also mentioned that the organisation works closely with various law enforcement entities throughout the year and is prepared to offer assistance as needed.

Women and Child Helpline Numbers:

Childline India – 1098; Women’s Helpline – 181; National Commission for Women Helpline – 112; National Commission for Women Helpline Against Violence – 7827170170; Police Women / Senior Citizen Helpline – 1091/ 1291; Missing Child and Women – 1094.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 01, 2024 02:18 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).