This is just so wrong and horrible on so many different levels.
16 teens aged from 13 to 17 were rescued from forced prostitution this weekend during the Super Bowl activities in New Jersey.
Of the children found, 6 were in New York, 6 were in New Jersey, and 4 were in Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
With sex trafficking on the rise, law enforcement officials began looking more closely to “prostitution” ads and realized they started to spike as Super Bowl day approached.
Sadly, this is just the tip of the iceberg as the FBI also rescued more than 50 other women from prostitution, some of whom were the victims of international sex trafficking, while 45 “pimps” were arrested along with numerous guns seized.
A total of 70 women and teens were given shelter and provided with resources such as food, clothing, and access to health care facilities.
The number of prostitution-related arrests skyrocketed in the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, and the FBI along with local authorities spent 6 months preparing for the 2-week operation that resulted in the arrest of more than 45 pimps.
While it’s great that so many women and teens were rescued this weekend, human trafficking is still a HUGE issue, and hopefully more victims can continue to be rescued in the future.
[Image via AP Images.]
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