FBI Portland
Portland Media Office
(503) 460-8060
October 17, 2016

FBI Announces Results of National Child Sex Trafficking Operation

The FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, working with a number of local and state partner agencies in Oregon, recovered one child sex trafficking victim as part of a national and international operation in the past week. The initiative, dubbed Operation Cross Country X (10), is a program spearheaded by the FBI and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) to target the criminal enterprises responsible for the commercial sex trafficking of children.

Portland

  • one minor sex trafficking victim recovered
  • 10 adult prostitutes arrested or cited (nine women, one man)

Eugene

  • 10 adult prostitutes arrested or cited (all women)

Salem/Beaverton (joint operation)

  • State search warrant conducted in Salem at Cheetah’s Strip Club as part of an ongoing Beaverton Police Department investigation

The FBI, NCMEC, and several international law enforcement partners today announced that they had recovered a total of 82 minors and arrested 239 pimps and their associates as part of the larger Operation Cross Country initiative. This international effort ran from October 13 to 15, and it is the 10th iteration of the FBI-led initiative. On Monday, October 17, FBI Director James Comey and NECMC Director John Clark announced the overall results at the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) convention in San Diego, California.

“Operation Cross Country aims to shine a spotlight into the darkest corners of our society that seeks to prey on the most vulnerable of our population,” said FBI Director Comey. “As part of this effort, we are not only looking to root out those who engage in the trafficking of minors, but, through our Office of Victim Assistance, we offer a lifeline to minors to help them escape a from a virtual prison no person ever deserves.”

Minors recovered during an arrest are engaged with state protective services and victim assistance. Depending on the level of need, a law enforcement officer and, if available, an FBI victim specialist will accompany the survivor to obtain these services. Any adult arrested pursuant to state charges will be processed by state and local law enforcement partners assisting in Operation Cross Country.

Nationally and internationally, operations took place in a number of locations, including hotels, truck stops, and street corners. With regards to the Oregon operations, we will not release specifics as to the stings, including their locations, to protect the integrity of future operations.

Operation Cross Country X is the largest ever in the history of the initiative, with 55 FBI field offices and 71 state and local task forces taking part in the operation in 106 cities across America. In addition, for the first time, international law enforcement partners joined with the FBI as part of the effort. There were several dozen operations across Canada, and approximately 10 operations took place in six cities across Cambodia, Thailand, and the Philippines.

Operation Cross Country X is part of the FBI’s Innocence Lost Initiative, which began in 2003. These teams work all year to recover minor trafficking victims. Since the inception of the program, there have been more than 6,100 child identifications and locations.

Oregon law enforcement partner agencies include:

  • FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force
  • Portland Police Bureau
  • Beaverton Police Department
  • Lake Oswego Police Department
  • Tigard Police Department
  • Vancouver Police Department
  • Salem Police Department
  • Eugene Police Department
  • Springfield Police Department
  • Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office
  • Lane County Sheriff’s Office
  • Oregon State Police
  • Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office
  • Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office
  • Marion County District Attorney’s Office
  • United States Attorney’s Office

Oregon social service agency partners include:

  • Kids FIRST
  • Looking Glass
  • Sexual Assault Resource Center (SARC)
  • Safety Compass
  • Multnomah County Dept. of Human Services, Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Unit
  • Clackamas County District Attorney Victim Assistance Program
  • Lane County District Attorney Victim Assistance Program
  • Multnomah County District Attorney Victim Assistance Program
  • United States Attorney’s Office Victim Witness Unit

  • Additional information on Operation Cross County X and the Innocence Lost Initiative