Nearly 600 people were arrested and 68 victims of human trafficking rescued from 17 states during a two-week national undercover sting operation in the lead-up to last Sunday's Super Bowl XLIX, authorities said on Monday.
Hundreds of men and women attempting to hire prostitutes through websites such as Backpage.com and Craigslist were captured while dozens of women who had allegedly been forced into prostitution were rescued as part of the ninth "National Day of Johns" sex trafficking sting, spearheaded by the Cook County, Ill., Sheriff's Office, The Washington Times reported. Overall, 570 would-be sex buyers and 23 pimps or traffickers were arrested by law enforcement agencies on suspicion of soliciting prostitutes while 68 victims were rescued, including 14 juveniles.
"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," Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart said in a statement.
"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."
From Jan. 15 to Feb. 1, 37 law enforcement agencies participated in undercover campaigns across 17 states, aiming to crack down on the demand for purchased sex, according to Los Angeles Times. By posting fake "prostitution" ads on Backpage.com and Craigslist.com to attract people who pay for sex, authorities were able to make more than 70 percent of arrests.
"The campaign has evolved to highlight the role of classified ad site Backpage.com as a conduit for the sex trade - 64 percent of the johns ended up in handcuffs after answering what they thought were online ads for prostitution on Backpage. Additionally, 7 percent of the johns responded to fake ads on Craigslist," Dart said.
A majority of the suspects have been charged with felony sex trafficking, commercial sexual abuse of a minor, pimping and rape. Some cases also resulted in charges of kidnapping, drug trafficking and possession of illegal firearms, People reported.
Last year's Super Bowl in suburban New York City involved more than 50 law enforcement agencies, with more than 50 women, including 25 juveniles, being rescued from prostitution, many of whom officials said were brought to the area during the run-up to the game.
Meanwhile, National Day of Johns Arrests operations, which started in 2011, have led to the arrests of 2,900 "johns" or men who purchase sex, said Sheriff Dart's office, which has been involved in dozens of the arrests.