San Diego, California – Thirteen people were arrested in an anti-human trafficking sting held during Comic-Con International in San Diego, state officials announced Thursday, underscoring how large-scale public events can draw illicit activity alongside the crowds and spectacle.
The arrests were the result of a three-day operation conducted from July 24 to 26 by members of the multi-agency San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force. According to the California Attorney General’s Office, officers worked undercover to initiate contact with people seeking to purchase sex throughout San Diego County. Each of the 13 suspects was arrested on suspicion of solicitation.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, whose office oversees the task force, praised the work of investigators. “Solicitation is a crime, and these arrests send a clear message to potential offenders that we stand ready to hold them accountable,” Bonta said. He added that the demand for commercial sex is a driving factor in human trafficking, where victims can be coerced or exploited for sex or labor through force, fraud, or manipulation…