Mississippi Teen Recovered in Nationwide Operation Targeting Underage Prostitution

A 17-year-old Mississippi girl was one of the 105 children recovered in Operation Cross Country VII, a three-day enforcement action to address commercial child sex trafficking throughout the United States.

In Jackson, one of the 76 cities included in this initiative, the FBI teamed with the Mississippi State Attorney General’s Office, Hinds County Sheriff’s Department, Jackson Police Department, Rankin County Sheriff’s Department, Pearl Police Department, Ridgeland Police Department, and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. As a result of this cooperative effort between state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies, one child was recovered, and 10 pimps were arrested. In addition, 24 others were arrested and charged with related state and local offenses.

“Child prostitution is a threat to children not just in other countries, but across America and right here in Mississippi,” said Daniel McMullen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Mississippi. “This operation serves as a reminder that the FBI and its partners in law enforcement remain committed to identifying and rescuing any child who is being victimized in this heinous enterprise.”

To learn more about Operation Cross Country and the Innocence Lost National Initiative, visit www.fbi.gov, www.justice.gov, or www.ncmec.org.

Additional information on Operation Cross Country VII:

• FBI.gov story
• National press release