COURT HOUSE – Cape May County Prosecutor Robert Taylor reported on efforts of law enforcement to curb sexual exploitation of children during the weeks leading up to and during Super Bowl in East Rutherford.
Taylor explained that through monitoring of social media and intelligence operations of the FBI and the New Jersey State Police law enforcement was able to predict that human traffickers would be flooding into the Garden State, to engage many children in illegal activities.
Operation Innocence Lost extended over January and February, and was not limited to East Rutherford. The Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office assisted the Super Bowl targeting of traffickers by focusing on preventing forced prostitution, Taylor explained.
Detectives and police officers from the department went undercover to lure traffickers into the open. One female detective pretended to be an underage girl and was able to arrest an adult male who solicited her. The operation rescued six underage runaways who were being trafficked and 11 pimps were arrested and charged with human trafficking or promotion of human trafficking.
Taylor said his officers never went farther north than Atlantic City and none of the trafficking took place in Cape May County.
Taylor was pleased that human trafficking, modern-day slavery, was finally getting the attention it deserved. “I am glad for all of the public attention. It is the only way this terrible scourge will be ended,” he said.
Taylor also wanted to do more to reach out to young people in schools so they would become aware. He was also very concerned about runaways, many of whom believed that running away from home would solve their problems.
“Then the pimps make friends with them and pretend to care for them and then traffic them. It’s very sad and dangerous,” he continued. But Taylor was pleased with the score for Operation Innocence Lost and proud of the part his team played in it.
If anyone suspects human trafficking, they are asked to contact the Prosecutor’s Office at 465-1135.
To contact Helen McCaffrey, email hmccaffrey@cmcherald.com.
For the Herald’s previous coverage, go to:
– Sex Trafficking is Big Business at the Super Bowl: http://goo.gl/GaEN7p
– 48 Arrested at Super Bowl for Human Trafficking: http://goo.gl/rp1CzA
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