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FBI Sex-Ring Bust Frees 47 Kids
Multi-agency crackdown snares more than 600 adults involved in '21st century slavery'
By Rob Quinn
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Posted Oct 28, 08 7:03 AM CDT
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(Newser)
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A huge nationwide crackdown has smashed apart a dozen child prostitution rings and rescued 47 juveniles, the Washington Post reports. The joint effort from the FBI, Justice Department, and local law enforcement agencies led to the arrest of more than 600 adults in 29 cities, including 73 pimps. Ten of the children appear on the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's registry.
The juveniles rescued range in age from 13 to 17. Most were girls who ran away from home or were estranged from their families. The chief of the missing children's center warned that a growing number of juveniles are being forced into "21st century slavery," and said that the crime is happening on "Main Street USA," including in rural and suburban communities.