Federal, state and local law enforcement agencies arrested 14 people and recovered 10 potential victims in a human trafficking sting over the weekend at San Diego Comic-Con, according to a news release shared Tuesday by California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D).
“Unfortunately, sex traffickers capitalize on large-scale events such as Comic-Con to exploit their victims for profit,” said Bonta in an accompanying statement. “These arrests send a clear message to potential offenders that their criminal behavior will not be tolerated.”
The three-day operation beginning July 25 saw undercover law enforcement pose “as sex buyers” to identify and contact potential victims to arrest their traffickers, per the statement. Authorities also tried to draw buyers out with “undercover advertisements” soliciting sex.
The joint investigation at Comic-Con, the annual comic book and pop culture convention that attracts more than 100,000 fans each year, led to the recovery of nine adult potential victims and one 16-year-old, according to Tuesday’s news release.
The San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force spearheaded the efforts, which also involved personnel from the Department of Justice, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, California Highway Patrol, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and numerous others.
Daniel Knighton via Getty Images
“There is no more insidious crime than human trafficking,” said San Diego Sheriff Kelly Martinez in the release. “The coercion and violence which enslaves people for profit and places them into forced labor or sex is criminal.”
“As the Sheriff, I support the efforts of all our justice partners in holding perpetrators accountable,” he continued. “I appreciate the focus that was placed on the recent convention to identify and rescue victims of human trafficking.”
Comic-Con launched in 1979 as an annual gathering for impassioned comic book fans and since evolved into an entertainment expo in which major movie studios hold star-studded panels to debut trailers or early footage from upcoming films.
Need help? Visit RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Online Hotline or the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s website.