Undercover sex trafficking sting at San Diego Comic-Con convention leads to fourteen arrests | World News
During the Comic-Con convention in San Diego, fourteen people were arrested and 10 victims of sex trafficking were rescued in an undercover sting operation.
The operation was conducted by the California Justice Department at the event, which took place from July 25 to 27 and celebrates superheroes, comic books, and pop culture.
Officers from the human trafficking task force posed as sex buyers and posted undercover advertisements soliciting sex during the three-day sting.
Fourteen alleged sex buyers were arrested and are facing solicitation charges, while nine adult potential victims and a 16-year-old girl were rescued, as reported by prosecutors.
“Child welfare services and adult and juvenile support service advocates were on scene to provide support as needed,” officials stated.
The San Diego Comic-Con convention, speaking to Sky’s US partner network NBC News, expressed that they were not aware of the sting and found the results of the operation “very disturbing.”
“It is our understanding that the arrests were made outside of the event. We work closely with a variety of law enforcement entities throughout the year and stand ready to assist in any way we can,” the convention stated.
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California Attorney General Rob Bonta stated that sex traffickers take advantage of large events like Comic-Con to exploit their victims for profit.
“These arrests send a clear message to potential offenders that their criminal behavior will not be tolerated,” he emphasized.
“We are grateful to all our dedicated partners involved in the San Diego human trafficking task force, whose collaboration has been invaluable.
“We take great pride in our office’s commitment to uplifting vulnerable Californians by offering them assistance and guidance when they need it most.”
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Key figures at this year’s Comic-Con, which has drawn over 130,000 attendees in recent years, included Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, who presented their films Deadpool and Wolverine, as well as Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr.
The 59-year-old actor announced his plan to return to the Marvel film franchise as the character Doctor Doom.
