PITTSBURGH (Newsradio 1020 KDKA) – The Pittsburgh FBI is announcing Operation Independence Day, a nationwide operation arresting adults who target children for sex, prostitution and pornography.
"There were 161 operations that were conducted across the country over the past month while 103 child victims were either identified or recovered and 67 sex traffickers were arrested," according to Pittsburgh FBI Supervising Special Agent Tim Wolford.
He says the largest increase in cases in the Pittsburgh area involve connections that were initiated online. Sometimes sex traffickers will initiate contact online and over time try to win the confidence of young people. "In the case of sextortion what often happens is that a minor sends an explicit picture of themselves," says Wolford. "That is used as blackmail against them."
Three operations were conducted in the Pittsburgh area during July. Authorities here made two arrests. The victims here were adult women, according to Wolford. "Just this year we've had seven cases opened on travelers who come to the Pittsburgh area to engage with minors in sex. That's one more than all of last year."
Wolford cautions parents to talk to their children about how they use the internet and to pay close attention to their online activity.
"And the public needs to understand that even if you don't think these kinds of crimes are happening in your neighborhood, I'm here to tell you that they are," said Wolford.
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