The California Department of Justice’s San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force has intercepted a human trafficking ring operating near San Diego Comic-Con 2024.
Ten victims, one of them a girl only sixteen years of age, were rescued by authorities from July 25 to 27, when the convention ran last weekend. San Diego’s Child Welfare Services and related agencies were also cooperating with the California DOJ, providing resources.
Fourteen people were taken into custody, with officers disguising themselves undercover as potential sex buyers, with charges of human trafficking being filed soon.
“Unfortunately, sex traffickers capitalize on large scale events such as Comic-Con to exploit their victims for profit,” California State Attorney-General Rob Ponta said. “These arrests send a clear message to potential offenders that their criminal behavior will not be tolerated. We are grateful to all our dedicated partners involved in the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, whose collaboration has been invaluable. We take great pride in our office’s commitment to uplifting vulnerable Californians by offering them assistance and guidance when they need it most.”
San Diego Sheriff Kelly Martinez added, “There is no more insidious crime than human trafficking.” The sheriff later stated that “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. I appreciate the focus that was placed on the recent convention to identify and rescue victims of human trafficking.”
San Diego Comic-Con issued a statement denouncing the abuse:
“Obviously we find this very disturbing and, while we were not made aware of this operation, it is our understanding that the arrests were made outside of the event,” the showrunners said in a statement (via People Magazine). “We work closely with a variety of law enforcement entities throughout the year and stand ready to assist in any way we can.”
