14 arrested in sex-trafficking sting operation at San Diego's Comic-Con event

Aug. 1 (UPI) -- Multiple people were arrested during a recent undercover sex-trafficking sting operation at this year's Comic-Con convention in San Diego.

The targeted sting operation from July 25-27, which coincided with the Comic-Con Convention in San Diego, resulted in 14 arrests, authorities said.

Law-enforcement officials said 10 potential sex-trafficking victims -- including a 16-year-old girl -- were saved from offering "services" as part of a joint investigation by the multi-agency San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, California Attorney General Rob Bonta confirmed Tuesday.

The arrested individuals now face charges for soliciting, which in California is a misdemeanor punishable by fine or up to six months in jail for a first offense.

"These arrests send a clear message to potential offenders that their criminal behavior will not be tolerated," Bonta said in a news release , expressing his gratitude to all law-enforcement partners involved in San Diego's Trafficking Task Force, "whose collaboration has been invaluable."

The task force includes the FBI, the federal Justice and Homeland Security departments, plus multiple other local and state agencies and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, better known as NCIS.

"We take great pride in our office's commitment to uplifting vulnerable Californians by offering them assistance and guidance when they need it most," said Bonta.

San Diego ranks 13th for human trafficking in large cities. Its annual Comic-Con convention focuses on comic books, media and pop culture which this year saw an estimated 135,000 attendees over a four day period.

Bonta says sex traffickers will capitalize on larger scale events, such as Comic-Con, "to exploit their victims for profit."

Undercover officers posed as sex buyers and made contact with victims at the time of the convention.

Event organizers called it "very disturbing," claiming the arrests "were made outside of the event" but otherwise had no knowledge of the undercover sting operation.

"We work closely with a variety of law enforcement entities throughout the year and stand ready to assist in any way we can," Comic-Con told NBC News .

Meanwhile, "Power Ranger" actor Hector David Rivera is being sought by authorities in Idaho for allegedly assaulting a man in his 60s where Rivera had been scheduled to attend the inaugural Magic Valley Comic-Con at the Magic Valley Mall in Twin Falls.

An official with a California-based organization, whose mission is to aid sex-trafficking victims, praised the 35-50 undercover officers who took part in the sting operation, a number confirmed by DOJ.

"Everyone is in disguise. It's like Halloween. They feel like they are invisible," Marisa Ugarte, director of the Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition , told NBC 7 in San Diego.

Ugarte said the alleged victims were 10 women in their 20s to 30s with the exception of the 16-year-old girl, and that the BSCC will be looking over some of them to help find jobs, housing among other things.

"This is a big number on one operation," Ugarte said.