The FBI, in conjunction with the Innocence Lost National Initiative, rescued 50 kids from sex slavery over the weekend. The sting covered 36 cities and included 631 arrests, including 60 pimps.
Kevin Perkins, assistant director of the Criminal Investigative Division of the FBI, said child sex slavery continues to be a significant problem in our country.
"There is no work more important than protecting American's children and freeing them from the cycle of victimization," he said in a statement. "Through our strategic partnerships with state and local law enforcement agencies, we are able to make a difference."
Local and state agencies work with the FBI to track and file charges against those suspected of human trafficking.
Through the Innocence Lost Task Forces and Working Groups, nearly 900 children have been rescued from sexual slavery.
Ernie Allen, president and CEO of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, said for the first time the issue is being seen as a national problem.
"There are now 34 task forces around the country – federal, state and local – going after this problem," he said. "What we're trying to do is wake up the country to what's happening to our children and save lives."
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