Bay Area Law Enforcement Agencies Target Child Prostitution as Part of Nationwide Sweep
Led Nation in Rescuing Juveniles
| FBI San Francisco July 29, 2013 |
SAN FRANCISCO—Twelve children who were being victimized through prostitution were rescued, while 17 individuals, commonly referred to as pimps, were arrested throughout the Bay Area on state and local charges as a part of a nationwide sweep targeting child prostitution.
Operation Cross Country is a national enforcement action that is coordinated through the Innocence Lost National Initiative, which is a partnership between the FBI, local law enforcement partners, and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
“The issue and crime of child prostitution is not going away anytime soon,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Johnson. “The sexual exploitation of children could be happening in your neighborhood, so we need the public’s help in combating this unthinkable, yet real, crime.”
The San Francisco Division of the FBI and multiple local and state law enforcement participated in the operation from July 24 through July 28 in several Bay Area cities and counties, running a total of 17 local operations.
Nationwide, 105 children were rescued and 150 pimps were arrested for various state and local charges. The efforts in the Bay Area account for 11.4 percent of the rescued children and 11.3 percent of the total number of pimps arrested throughout 76 participating cities in 47 FBI field offices.
The origins of this nationwide effort is rooted in Northern California, when in 2006, the Bay Area Innocence Lost Working Group sought to target the growing problem of child prostitution by conducting a joint, multi-day operation to rescue children and to arrest those who exploited them.
“As crimes against children are a priority for the FBI, we will continue to target and arrest those individuals who force or manipulate children into prostitution,” added Johnson. “Our children are not for sale.”
The following agencies were a part of the operation: Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, Alameda County Probation, Alameda County Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement Task Force, Alameda County Sheriffs, Alameda County Vice Enforcement Team (ACVET), Concord Police, Contra Costa Sheriffs, Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, Daly City Police, Hayward Police, Oakland Police, Petaluma Police, Richmond Police, Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety, San Francisco Police, San Jose Police, San Mateo Police, Santa Clara Police, Santa Rosa Police, Sonoma County Sheriffs, and South San Francisco Police.
ACVET consists of the following agencies: Albany Police Department, California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, California Highway Patrol, Emeryville Police Department, Fremont Police Department, Hayward Police Department, Livermore Police Department, Newark Police Department, and the University of California Berkeley Police Department.
| Agency | Juveniles Rescued | Pimps Arrested | Adult Prostitutes Arrested | Others Arrested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda County Sheriff's Office | 1 | |||
| Alameda SAFE Task Force | 3 | |||
| Concord Police Department | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office | 1 | 2 | 7 | 3 |
| Daly City Police Department | 1 | 3 | 1 | |
| Hayward Police/ACVET | 3 | 2 | 5 | |
| Oakland Police Department | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| Richmond Police Department | 2 | 11 | 1 | |
| San Jose Police Department | 1 | 1 | 9 | 2 |
| San Mateo Police Department | 1 | 10 | ||
| Santa Rosa Police Department/Sonoma County Sheriff's Office | 3 | 4 | 6 | |
| South San Francisco Police Department | 5 | 6 | 1 | |
| Total | 12 | 21 | 65 | 12 |
To learn more about Operation Cross Country and the Innocence Lost National Initiative, visit www.fbi.gov, www.justice.gov, or www.ncmec.org.