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THEY WERE RESCUED FROM THEIR
PIMPS JUST THIS WEEKEND IN A
CROSS-COUNTRY SWEEP.
THIS IS ACTUAL OPERATIONS.
IT WAS RELEASED MOMENTS AGO.
I WANT TO GET RIGHT TO THE FBI'S
SAYS ABOUT DIRECTOR OF CRIMINAL
INVESTIGATIIVE DIVISION, RON.
RON, THIS IS AMAZING WHAT YOU
WERE ABLE TO PULL OFF IN SUCH A
SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
OBVIOUSLY LOTS OF LEGWORK AND
BACKGROUND.
TELL US HOW YOU DID IT.
WHEN DID YOU DECIDE IT WAS TIME
TO RELEASE THE NEWS?
>> THANK YOU.
WE'RE PROUD OF THIS SUCCESS.
THIS OPERATION WHICH WE CALL
KROSTZ OPERATION CROSS-COUNTRY 7
HAS OCCURRED OVER THE LAST 72
HOURS.
THIS IS NOT JUST THE FBI.
THIS IS ALSO JOINING WITH
FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS, AS WELL AS
THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING
AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN TO FOCUS
ON AREAS WHERE UNDERAGE GIRLS
ARE PROSTITUTED.
AND WE --
HOW YOUNG ARE WE TALKING ABOUT,
RON?
HOW YOUNG?
>> SADLY, IN THIS OPERATION, THE
AGES RAINLS RANGE FROM 13 TO 17.
MULTIPLE OF THESE VICTIMS WERE
PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AND REPORTED TO
OUR PARTNER.
>> WHERE DID YOU TAKE DOWN THESE
*** IS?
WHERE WERE THEY OPERATING?
WHERE WERE THE MOST COMMON
AREAS?
>> THESE -- THIS CRIME OCCURS IN
RURAL AREAS AS WELL AS OUR
CITIES AND EVERYWHERE IN
BETWEEN.
IN THIS CASE, WE WERE IN 76
CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND IN EVERY CONCEIVABLE VENUE.
THAT IS, ON THE STREET, AT TRUCK
STOPS, AT MOTELS, CASINOS.
AND WE ALSO PROBE INTERNET
WEBSITES AND SOCIAL MEDIA
PLATFORMS WHERE THIS CRIME IS
BEING FACILITATED.
>> CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH THE
SWEEP, HOW IT ALL WENT DOWN,
WHAT KIND OF BACKGROUND YOU DID,
HOW YOU WERE ABLE TO GET EACH
ONE OF THESE PIMPS.
JUST ONE EXAMPLE, IF YOU DON'T
MIND.
>> WELL, WE DO AN EXTENSIVE
COLLABORATION AHEAD OF TIME WITH
OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS TO
REALLY TRY TO FOCUS ON THOSE
LOCATIONS WHERE WE KNOW THIS
ACTIVITY IS OCCURRING.
AND AS WE GET CLOSER, THERE'S OF
COURSE MAY BE UNDERCOVER
EXCHANGES THAT ARE ON THE PHONE
OR ON DIGITAL MEDIA OR ON A
SMARTPHONE OR ON THE COMPUTER
THAT ARRANGE FOR AN APPOINTMENT
AND WHERE WE HAVE KIND OF A
WARM-UP CONVERSATION, WE HAVE
THE SUBJECTS, THE PIMPS.
AND WE CLOSE YOUR COLLECTIVE LAW
ENFORCEMENT NET AND, SADLY, WE
RECOVERED 105 CHILDREN AS WE
ENGAGED IN THIS SWEEP THIS TIME.
>> IF YOU DON'T MIND, BEFORE I
LET YOU GO, RON, OTHER NEWS
ENTITIES HAVE BEEN REPORT THAT
THESE PIMPS USED A POPULAR
ONLINE WEBSITE CALLED BACK PAGE
TO SELL THESE KIDS FOR SEX.
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT BACK
PAGE AND CAN YOU CONFIRM THAT?
>> I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE
ENCOUNTERED BACKPAGE ON THIS
SWEEP, THIS ROUND OF SWEEPS.
AND THAT PIMPS ARE FREQUENTLY
SMARKED MUCH LIKE IN OUR OTHER
LINES OF WORK WHERE THESE FOLKS
PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT WE DO AND
HOW WE DO IT AND THEY CHANGE
THEIR TECHNIQUES AND THEIR
TACTICS TO AVOID LAW ENFORCEMENT
SCRUT
SCRUTINY.
BUT IN THIS CASE WE DID HAVE
SUCCESSFUL ENGAGEMENT WITH AT
LEAST 150 OF THESE SUBJECTS WHO