522 “JOHNS”, 30 PIMPS ARRESTED IN SUPER BOWL SEX TRAFFICKING STING

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COOK COUNTY, IL (WCMH) — A national sex trafficking sting ended in the arrests of 552 would-be sex buyers or sex traffickers.

The National Johns Suppression Initiative began three weeks ago,
ending on Super Bowl Sunday. 23 law enforcement agencies in 14 states
took part in the crackdown.

“Sex trafficking continues to destroy countless lives, and this broad
national movement should send a strong message to prospective johns
that their ‘hobby’ is much more than a ‘victimless’ crime,” said Cook
County, Illinois Sheriff Thomas J. Dart in a news release.
“It’s particularly meaningful that this sting culminated on the day of
the Super Bowl, which unfortunately has emerged as a prominent haven for
sex trafficking.”

In addition to the arrests, police rescued 73 adult victims from human trafficking and 3 juvenile victims.

In the Houston area alone, where this year’s Super Bowl took place,
law enforcement arrested 183 “johns” and 9 sex traffickers. Among those
arrested was a Houston city employee who pulled up in a city vehicle,
two firefighters, a retired police officer and a man who had his
4-year-old child in the car when he tried to buy sex.

“I’m exceedingly proud to lead the nation in targeting sex buyers and
traffickers during this annual initiative,” Harris County Sheriff Ed
Gonzalez said during a news conference.
“Houston was home to Super Bowl LI. As we welcomed the world to our
city, we made it clear that there is no place for victimization and
sexual exploitation.”

In Seattle, police arrested a john who recently escaped from jail.
They also arrested a registered sex offender who tried to convince the
undercover detective into working as a prostitute for him.

The participating agencies across the nation have arrested more than
6,500 sex buyers and traffickers since the operations began back in
2011.