Over a dozen people were arrested when California authorities conducted a human trafficking sting operation at the San Diego Comic-Con. Ten prospective victims were also saved.
On Tuesday, July 30, the California Department of Justice issued a press release stating that the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force (SDHTTF) carried out the operation, which was “aimed at recovering victims of sex trafficking and targeting sex buyers using the San Diego Comic-Con Convention to seek out potential victims.”
Authorities arrested 14 persons and “recovered” 10 possible victims between July 25 and July 27, according to the announcement. Nine of the ten rescued are adults, while one is sixteen. Child Welfare Services and affiliated agencies were on hand to assist.
In the announcement, Attorney General Rob Bonta stated that sex traffickers often “capitalize on large-scale events such as Comic-Con to exploit their victims for profit.”
Every year, around 100,000 fans travel to San Diego to attend the comic book and pop culture event.
Bonta continued, “These arrests send a strong warning to potential perpetrators that their unlawful activity will not be allowed. We are grateful to all of our dedicated partners on the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, whose collaboration has proven crucial. We are very proud of our office’s commitment to uplifting underprivileged Californians by providing them with support and direction when they need it the most.”
Throughout the sting operation, law enforcement operatives posed as sex buyers to locate potential victims and traffickers. Undercover advertisements “soliciting sex” were also placed to target sex purchasers.
“There is no more insidious crime than human trafficking,” said San Diego Sheriff Kelly Martinez in a statement. “It is illegal to use compulsion and violence to enslave people for profit and force them to work or engage in sexual activity. As Sheriff, I support all of our justice partners’ efforts to hold abusers accountable. I appreciate the emphasis placed on the recent convention to identify and rescue victims of human trafficking.
In a statement obtained by PEOPLE on Wednesday, July 31, the organizer San Diego Comic Convention 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.” We collaborate extensively with a variety of law enforcement agencies throughout the year and are ready to help in any way we can.”
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to speak with a certified crisis counselor.