SAN DIEGO (TCN) — Over a dozen individuals stand accused of trafficking people at the world-famous Comic-Con convention, including a 16-year-old who was recovered during an undercover sting.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced July 30 that officials arrested 14 people and recovered 10 victims as part of an anti-human trafficking operation that ran from July 25 to July 27 at San Diego Comic-Con. Law enforcement personnel went undercover at the convention as sex buyers to track down traffickers and seek out potential victims, and they also posted advertisements soliciting sex.
Officials recovered nine adult potential victims of sex trafficking and a 16-year-old juvenile. The attorney general’s office noted that various services were available at the scene for victims’ support.
Comic-Con, a comic book convention, reportedly attracts around 100,000 fans to San Diego every year.
In a statement, Bonta said, “Unfortunately, sex traffickers capitalize on large-scale events such as Comic-Con to exploit their victims for profit.”
San Diego Sheriff Kelly Martinez added, “There is no more insidious crime than human trafficking. 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.”