Nearly 200 people were arrested and one teen was rescued on Tuesday in the state of Florida as part of a massive child sex trafficking bust dubbed Operation Stolen Innocence, the New York Post reports.
The investigation began in November 2018 after authorities discovered a child no older than 14 being advertised on a prostitution website. 106 people were charged with felonies while 18 face federal charges, with charges ranging from solicitation to trafficking minors. 72 people were also charged with misdemeanors.
Included in the arrests are a prominent fundraiser for the University of Florida, a former political candidate, and a physical education teacher.
A number of women were also arrested as part of the bust, apparently for arranging "plays" with the victim for money.
The Tallahassee Police Department's Special Victims Unit rescued the teen, who authorities say is now safe and secure. According to investigator Elizabeth Bascom, the teen is “on the road to recovery, and she’s doing well given the situation,” but that "this has seriously impacted her life, and it is very difficult at times." Bascom promisingly stated that the teen "is working to get her life back."
Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell said in a statement that his investigators have "worked tirelessly to bring justice to the victim in this case and were able to make an unprecedented number of human trafficking related arrests. I could not be prouder of the steadfast efforts of our investigators and the joint effort with our partners to stop the illegal and dehumanizing practice of human trafficking.”
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