This is one of the sadder segments of society we only hear about from time to time. The FBI rounded up 48 suspected teenage prostitutes. The question is: How many more are out there?
By DEVLIN BARRETT
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON – The FBI has rescued 48 suspected teenage prostitutes, some as young as 13 years old, in a nationwide sweep to remove kids from the illegal sex trade and punish their accused pimps.
Over a three-night initiative called Operation Cross Country, federal agents working with local law enforcement also arrested more than 571 suspects on a variety of federal and state prostitution-related charges, the bureau said.
The teenage prostitutes found in the investigation ranged in age from 13 to 17. In Ohio, about 18 adults were arrested in Toledo and Lima, said FBI spokesman Scott Wilson in Cleveland.
“We may not be able to return their innocence but we can remove them from this cycle of abuse and violence,” said FBI Director Robert Mueller.
