14 arrested in state crackdown on perverts at the San Diego Comic Con

SAN DIEGO – As part of a joint investigation through the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force (SDHTTF), California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the results of a human trafficking sting, aimed at recovering victims of sex trafficking and targeting sex buyers using the San Diego Comic-Con Convention to seek out potential victims. From July 25 to 27, 2024, the California Department of Justice’s (DOJ) San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force (SDHTTF) conducted an anti-human trafficking operation coinciding with the Comic-Con Convention that resulted in 14 arrests and 10 victims recovered and offered services. Comic-Con International is a comic book and pop culture event drawing over 100,000 fans to San Diego each year.

“Unfortunately, sex traffickers capitalize on large scale events such as Comic-Con to exploit their victims for profit,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “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.”

“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.”

“The San Diego Police Department is a proud member of the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force,” said San Diego Police Chief Wahl . “Working together, teams identified and arrested more than a dozen individuals participating in these illegal acts in our City over the weekend. This successful operation recovered 10 victims of human trafficking, including a girl of just 16 years old. These results show our collective dedication to combatting human trafficking and holding criminals accountable are working.”

“San Diego proudly hosts special events like Comic-Con – highly attended events like these allow us to showcase our growing and beautiful city,” said 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.”

“Human trafficking is a grave violation of human rights and a crime that requires a concerted and unified response,” said Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Carter, NCIS Southwest Field Office. “Our participation in this joint task force underscores NCIS’s unwavering commitment to our service members, their families and the broader community from exploitation and abuse.”

The anti-human trafficking operation targeted sex buyers, and focused on recovering potential victims of sex trafficking, and arresting traffickers. Law enforcement personnel worked undercover as sex buyers to identify and contact potential victims of trafficking and arrest their traffickers. As part of the operation, undercover law enforcement personnel also posted undercover advertisements soliciting sex to arrest sex buyers. As a result of the three-day operation, 14 sex buyers were arrested, nine adult potential victims of sex trafficking were recovered and offered services, and one 16-year-old juvenile was recovered. Child Welfare Services and adult and juvenile support service advocates were on scene to provide support as needed.

The SDHTTF is a cooperative effort involving the DOJ, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, California Highway Patrol, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, National City Police Department, San Diego City Attorney’s Office, San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, San Diego County Probation Department, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, San Diego Police Department, Southwest Border High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service also assisted in the operation.

OCDA Todd Spitzer’s reaction:

In a significant victory against human trafficking, law enforcement agents from the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force conducted a successful undercover operation during Comic Con in San Diego, resulting in the apprehension of 14 individuals and the recovery of 10 potential trafficking victims, including a 16-year-old girl. Events like Comic Con draw large crowds of people from around the world every year; contributing to a crowded and chaotic environment for traffickers to operate without detection.

Local, state, and federal officers participated in three-day human trafficking sting: targeting sex buyers with the goal of recovering potential victims of sex trafficking and arresting traffickers. Their vigilant efforts led to the identification and arrest of 14 perpetrators who sought to exploit vulnerable individuals attending the convention, including a 16-year-old girl. This operation is a testament to the dedication and skill of our law enforcement partners in San Diego who work tirelessly to ensure the safety and security of all Southern California residents.

Here in Orange County, the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force is committed to protecting our community from all forms of exploitation and has collaborated with many of these agencies. The task force ensures proactive measures are in place before and during large scale events to combat human trafficking.

The arrests made during the past weekend will disrupt criminal networks and serve as a warning to those who seek to prey on the most vulnerable people for profit.

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