Transcript:
Innocence Lost Press Conference October 27, 2008
John S. Pistole, Deputy Director, FBI
Matthew W. Friedrich, Acting Assistant Attorney General
Ernie Allen, Executive Director, National Center for Missing
and Exploited Children
Pistole:
Last Thursday night, the FBI joined with 92 federal, state, and
local law enforcement agencies in Operation Cross Country II,
a three-day takedown operation in 27 cities across the nation.
This action resulted in the rescue of 47 juveniles as well as
the arrests of 73 pimps, 518 prostitutes, and 51 others. This operation
targeted known street tracks, in and out call services, truck stops,
casinos, and internet sites.
The juveniles recovered ranged in ages from 13 to 17. Ten of these
children were known victims to the National Center for Missing
and Exploited Children. We conducted 44 searches, seized some one-hundred-thousand
dollars cash and other items such as firearms, vehicles, and drugs.
The operation successfully dismantled 12 large scale operations.
To date, Innocence Lost investigations have led to the conviction
of 365 individuals on a combination of state and federal charges.
These convictions have resulted in lengthy sentences-- in some
cases up to life. But most importantly, our efforts have led
to the recovery of 575 child victims.
Friedrich:
First make no mistake, the minors who were interdicted as part
of this operation are victims of the most extreme form of sex
trafficking. It sadly remains the case even now in 2008 that
there remain instances of children in the United States manipulated
into prostitution by pimps willing to make a fast buck based
on the most vulnerable among us.
The best protection for victims is the incarceration of the offender.
This is so because children manipulated into becoming prostitutes
are often forced to remain there through violence and through intimidation.
Allen:
In June, at the announcement of Operation Cross Country One, I
made a comment that millions of Americans think this is the kind
of problem that only happens somewhere else—Southeast Asia,
Central America, Eastern Europe. Operation Cross Country Two
is the latest evidence that this is a problem that’s happening
on Main Street USA.
In the past, this is a problem that has been attacked solely at
the local level. And one of our underlying premises in Innocence
Lost is that this is organized crime--not Mafia, not La Cosa Nostra,
but organized nonetheless. These people are moving kids from city
to city. There is a network. These kids have become commodities
for sale or trade. They are involved in 21st century slavery.
In June, I concluded by saying that what we want to do is send
a simple message to every American. That message is: You can help
eliminate child trafficking in this country. If you see it in your
city, if you know about it, if you suspect it, report it.
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