The California Attorney General’s Office announced Thursday that 13 persons who were looking to buy sex were arrested as part of an anti-human trafficking investigation that took place during this year’s San Diego Comic-Con International weekend.
Undercover police officers carried out the operation from July 24 to 26 “to initiate contact with sex buyers throughout San Diego County.” Suspects of solicitation led to the arrest of the 13 individuals.
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The operation, which takes place every year over Comic-Con weekend, led to the recovery of 10 possible victims of sex trafficking and the arrest of 14 suspected sex buyers last year.
Although there isn’t always a connection between commercial sex and human trafficking, the desire for commercial sex might encourage traffickers to take advantage of and force victims into sex labor, according to the California AG’s office.
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“Solicitation is a crime, and these arrests send a clear message to potential offenders that we stand ready to hold them accountable,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta in a statement.
The multi-agency San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, which included prosecution offices and federal and state law enforcement agencies, carried out the operation.
