LAPD, other agencies announce crackdown on sex trafficking, rescues of children

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Southern California law enforcement agencies announced dozens of arrests in a crackdown on human trafficking operations.

The Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department teamed up with other local and federal agencies to announce arrests of 38 suspected sex traffickers and 197 sex buyers.

"This task force has conducted over the last seven days high-impact operations aimed at the recovery of human trafficking victims as well as the apprehension of their exploiters," said LAPD Chief Michel Moore.

The operations were conducted through the LA Regional Human Trafficking Task Force, which involves the LAPD, LASD federal Homeland Security as well as other local and state agencies and nonprofits.

In addition to the arrests, there were 125 adults and six children rescued from sexual exploitation associated with the industry.

"No person should be owned, bought or sold," said Dave Cox, chief operating officer of ZOE International, a nonprofit which fights the sex-trafficking industry. "We're here because there is no such thing as a child prostitute.

Twelve-year-old girls selling themselves on the street or online cannot give consent. That's called rape."

In Los Angeles, they say that happens 20 to 30 times a day.

"We're even seeing victims and traffickers and sex buyers coming from out of state, out of country to Los Angeles. It's happening in hotels you've stayed in, it happens on the streets you drive on," Cox said.

But through operations like this, he says lives are being changed. Once rescued from the streets, organizations like ZOE International help those who were exploited get their lives back on track.