More than 60 Pimps Arrested in Child Prostitution Investigation

Children throughout the U.S. are a little bit safer now that 690 people have been arrested and taken into police custody for their alleged involvement in child prostitution crimes.

A nationwide effort to catch child prostitution offenders paid off when 52 children were recovered and more than 60 pimps were arrested over the last three days. The three-day operation was made possible by efforts made by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.  Dubbed Operation Cross Country IV, law enforcement authorities in 36 cities and 30 FBI divisions worked together to arrest more 690 people.

Although this is a huge success for law enforcement agents dedicated to putting an end to child sex trafficking, Kevin Perkins, assistant director of the FBI's Criminal Investigation Division, said child prostitution continues to be a significant problem in our county, and that we can never stop protecting America's children from the cycle of victimization.  

Operation Cross County IV is part of the FBI's ongoing Innocence Lost National Initiative, which was created in 2003 with goal of ending child sex trafficking in the United States.  With assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Initiative has led to the recovery of nearly 900 children and more than 500 convictions.

Child sex crimes, especially child prostitution and child sex trafficking, are extremely serious felony offenses that can result in thousands of dollars in fines and years in state or federal prison, if not life in prison.

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