Crime & Safety
Oak Creek Girl Rescued During Sex Trafficking Sting
The FBI rescued more than 100 children and arrested 159 people across the country as part of a three-day sting cracking down on underage prostitution.
An Oak Creek girl was among more than 100 children recovered during a nationwide FBI sting targeting underage prostitution.
The FBI announced Monday that a three-day enforcement action called Operation Cross Country VII spanned 76 cities and resulted in 159 arrests.
Ten girls from Wisconsin, including six in West Allis, one in Oak Creek and two in Madison, were rescued as part of the operation, according to a WTMJ-TV report.
"Child prostitution remains a persistent threat to children across America," said Ron Hosko, assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, in a statement. "This operation serves as a reminder that these abhorrent crimes can happen anywhere, and the FBI remains committed to stopping this cycle of victimization and holding the criminals who profit from this exploitation accountable."
The girls rescued in the Milwaukee area are now teamed up with counselors and working with the FBI in the hopes of more arrests and rescues, Patch's media partners at WISN 12 News reported.
The sting was part of the Innocence Lost National Initiative, which was established in 2003 to confront the growing problem of child prostitution, the FBI said in a news release. To date, more than 2,700 children have been rescued and 1,350 people convicted.
Operations typically begin with local law enforcement officers targeting truck stops, casinos, street "tracks" and websites that advertise dating or escort services, officials said. Information gleaned from people arrested frequently uncovers organized efforts to prostitute women and children across many states.
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