There Was a Human Trafficking Sting at San Diego Comic-Con That Resulted in 14 Arrests
"These arrests send a clear message to potential offenders that their criminal behavior will not be tolerated."
Published July 31 2024, 6:11 p.m. ET
Most would agree that San Diego Comic-Con is typically a place built around fandom and community, where any disagreements are usually over some sort of Marvel Cinematic Universe decision. (Please see Robert Downey Jr. as Dr. Doom.) Unfortunately it was recently the center of a statewide human trafficking sting.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta worked alongside the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force (SDHTTF) in order to seek out individuals who were using the popular event to target potential victims. Thankfully the sting operation was a success, but who could have predicted this terrible situation? What exactly happened at San Diego Comic-Con? Here's what we know.
A police car is parked outside of San Diego Comic-Con
What happened at San Diego Comic-Con? Multiple people are allegedly involved in a human trafficking ring.
According to a press release from the State of California Department of Justice, the operation was "aimed at recovering victims of sex trafficking and targeting sex buyers using the San Diego Comic-Con Convention to seek out potential victims." Over the course of three days, from July 25 to 27, 2024, the California Department of Justice’s (DOJ) San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force (SDHTTF) carried our an operation that resulted in 14 arrests. Ten victims were also recovered.
Attorney General Bonta said, "Unfortunately, sex traffickers capitalize on large scale events such as Comic-Con to exploit their victims for profit. These arrests send a clear message to potential offenders that their criminal behavior will not be tolerated." He also added, "We are grateful to all our dedicated partners involved in the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, whose collaboration has been invaluable."
Law enforcement went undercover in order to "identify and contact potential victims of trafficking and arrest their traffickers." They also posted advertisements that solicited sex in order to attract potential buyers. Of the 10 victims they were able to help, one was identified as a 16 year-old juvenile. "There is no place for alleged predators to operate in our city and HSI is committed to helping the victims of these crimes," said Christopher Davis, acting special agent in charge for HSI San Diego.
