Over the last few years, the U.S. Marshals have been using their particular set of skills to rescue human trafficking victims.
According to a statement by the USMS, they have recovered 75% of the missing children from the cases that they have received over the past 5 years.
This sting operation was no different.
USMS Offices in Southern Ohio and Southern West Virginia announced another massive success in their fight against modern-day slavery.
During a video press conference, Ohio Attorney General David Yost said that he believes that “Operation Autumn Hope” was the largest statewide anti-human trafficking investigation in the state of Ohio. Law enforcement officers from all three levels of government — federal, state, and local — were involved and resulted in 177 arrests of johns and traffickers, the rescue of 45 children and 109 additional human trafficking survivors. AG Yost said that 76 missing and exploited children cases were cleared in the operation.
Our Human Trafficking task forces — local law enforcement teaming up with the state — conducted a massive statewide sting last week.
Operation Autumn Hope is the largest single HT operation in state history. Our goal: an Ohio where no human is bought or sold.
Details at 10
— Attorney General Dave Yost (@DaveYostOH) October 26, 2020
According to the U.S. Marshals Service Offices in Southern Ohio and Southern West Virginia, operation “Autumn Hope” was a multi-agency enforcement operation focused on human trafficking and the location and recovery of missing and exploited children.
During the operation 45 missing children were recovered and 169 arrests were made by the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, and U.S. Marshals in conjunction with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.
Twenty children were also located per the request of law enforcement to ensure the child’s well-being.
Source: NBC 4
Peter C. Tobin, U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Ohio said, “My thanks to all personnel who have stepped up for this operation. These are the same personnel who hunt down violent fugitives every day. I’m incredibly proud of them and pleased that they were able to apply those same skills to finding missing children. I know Operation Autumn Hope has made a difference in a lot of young lives.”
Yost said the operation focused on these main points: rescuing victims of human trafficking and referring them to social services; recovering missing and exploited children; apprehending those seeking to have sex with a minor; and arresting male johns seeking to buy sex.
“Among those missing included a 15-year-old girl missing from Cleveland whose recovery linked her and other possible victims to an individual in Columbus suspected of human trafficking; a 15-year-old male with two warrants who is a suspect in multiple shootings and a homicide; and a 14-year-old girl who was reported missing by the Lancaster Police Department who was recovered in Columbus within six hours of being reported missing,” the Ohio A.G.’s office said.
Source: Fox News
AG Yost gave a thorough explanation of all of the charges during an video press conference.
