BOSTON – Over the past 72 hours, the FBI and its Massachusetts local and state law enforcement partners, concluded Operation Cross Country, a three-day national enforcement action as part of the Innocence Lost National Initiative. The goal of the operation is to stop the exploitation of underage children through prostitution.
The sixth iteration of Operation Cross Country led to the recovery of 79 children across the nation including one in Massachusetts. Additionally, 104 pimps were arrested nationwide by local and state law enforcement on a variety of prostitution related charges.
In Massachusetts, the operation included enforcement actions in Saugus, Malden, and West Springfield, resulting in 14 total arrests, 13 on prostitution charges and one on drug charges. One juvenile associated with the arrests was recovered. Three pimps were arrested.
“Child prostitution remains a major threat to children across America,” said Kevin L. Perkins, acting executive assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services Branch. “It is a violent and deplorable crime, and we are working with our partners to disrupt and put behind bars individuals and members of criminal enterprises who would sexually exploit children.”
Operation Cross Country is part of the Innocence Lost National Initiative that was created in 2003 by the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, in partnership with the Department of Justice and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), to address the growing problem of domestic child sex trafficking in the United States.
“Once again, thanks to decade-long FBI leadership, it is clear that child prostitution and sex trafficking do not just occur somewhere else on the other side of the world. These insidious crimes are occurring in American cities and the victims are American kids,” said Ernie Allen, president of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
To date, the 47 Innocence Lost Task Forces and Working Groups have recovered more than 2,200 children from the streets. The investigations and subsequent 1,017 convictions have resulted in lengthy sentences, including eight life terms and the seizure of more than $3.1 million in assets. The Boston Division of the FBI’s Innocence Lost Task Force (ILTF), which is composed of the Massachusetts State Police, Boston, and Malden Police, joined forces with other agencies to conduct Operation Cross Country.
FBI Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division, Richard DesLauriers said, “We appreciate the efforts of the Saugus, Malden, West Springfield, Boston Police Departments and Massachusetts State Police to participate in Operation Cross Country. Their communities should be proud of their proactive efforts to thwart child prostitution in Massachusetts, and to send a message to others around the country that the practice is intolerable.”
The following enforcement actions took place in Massachusetts:
On June 21, 2012, the Saugus Police along with others from the Somerville, Malden, Boston, Massachusetts State Police, and FBI, conducted an undercover operation in Saugus. As a result a total of eight individuals were arrested by the Saugus Police. Seven were arrested on state prostitution charges and one on a drug charge.
Saugus Police Department, Executive and Public Information Officer Leonard Campanello said the “Saugus Police Department was pleased to be able to assist in this investigation. Exploitation of juveniles, especially in this manner, is a heinous crime and the Saugus Police Department stands with the FBI and other agencies involved in the enforcement of any and all laws designed to protect these at risk youths. We will continue our cooperative effort with the FBI in the future to curb the proliferation of juvenile prostitution.”
On June 22, 2012, the Malden Police along with the ILTF conducted an undercover operation in Malden. The Malden Police arrested three individuals on state prostitution charges.
Lt. Marc Gatcomb, a Malden Police spokesperson and a member of the ILTF stated, “Malden Police has always been concerned about the ongoing problem of child exploitation, specifically child prostitution. As a member of the FBI ILTF, we hope to continue the valiant efforts by the FBI and local police departments in combating this problem with all resources available to us and look forward to continued partnership with the FBI in this effort.”
On June 23, 2012, the West Springfield Police Department, and Hampden County Sexual Predator Task Force, led by the Hampden County District Attorney, Massachusetts State Police, and FBI conducted an undercover operation in West Springfield. The West Springfield Police arrested three individuals on state prostitution charges. One juvenile associated with the arrests was recovered.
Chief Ron Campurciani, of the West Springfield Police Department said, “We were proud to participate in this important joint initiative, along with the Hampden Sex Predator Task Force and the FBI ILTF, to address the serious issue of child prostitution in western Massachusetts.”
For specific questions about the charges, please contact the police departments who made the arrests.
Task Force operations usually begin as local actions, targeting such places as truck stops, casinos, street “tracks,” and Internet websites, based on intelligence gathered by officers working in their respective jurisdictions. Initial arrests are often violations of local and state laws relating to prostitution or solicitation. Information gleaned from those arrested often uncovers organized efforts to prostitute women and children across many states. FBI agents further develop this information in partnership with U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and file federal charges where appropriate.
The charges announced today are merely accusations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.
For more information on Operation Cross Country and the Innocence Lost National Initiative, go to www.fbi.gov, www.justice.gov, or www.ncmec.org.
