Authorities arrested 14 people and recovered 10 potential victims as part of a human trafficking sting that took place at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC), Attorney General Rob Bonta announced in a press release on Wednesday.
Per the release, the joint investigation between the Attorney General’s office and the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force took place from July 25-27 at SDCC, the busiest Thursday-Saturday days. Of the 10 potential victims that were recovered and assisted, nine were adults, and one was a 16-year-old juvenile.
The goal was to not only to recover victims, but to target sex buyers at the massive convention that draws more than 100,000 fans each year. As authorities point out, the large influx of people puts events like SDCC at risk.
“Unfortunately, sex traffickers capitalize on large scale events such as Comic-Con to exploit their victims for profit,” Bonta said in the press release. “These arrests send a clear message to potential offenders that their criminal behavior will not be tolerated. 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.”
As part of the three-day investigation, authorities went undercover, looking to contact potential victims and solicit sex buyers in part by posting undercover advertisements. Support services, both for adults and juveniles, were on the scene to assist as needed.
“There is no more insidious crime than human trafficking,” said San Diego Sheriff Kelly Martinez. “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. I appreciate the focus that was placed on the recent convention to identify and rescue victims of human trafficking.”
“San Diego proudly hosts special events like Comic-Con – highly attended events like these allow us to showcase our growing and beautiful city," added Christopher Davis, acting special agent in charge for HSI San Diego. "However, when people use these events as an opportunity to prey upon minors, HSI and our law enforcement partners will find you and bring you before a court of law to face criminal charges. There is no place for alleged predators to operate in our city and HSI is committed to helping the victims of these crimes.”
IGN has reached out to San Diego Comic-Con for comment.
If you or someone you know has been affected by human trafficking, you can reach the National Human Trafficking Hotline here or at 1-888-373-7888.
Thumbnail credit: Araya Doheny/Getty Images
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
