The FBI has shut down a Super Bowl sex trafficking ring that involved children.

According to law enforcement authorities, the sex trafficking ring was forcing juveniles as young as 13 years old to work as prostitutes.

16 underage victims were rescued by the FBI in the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, which was held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Many of the victims had been forced to come to the Tri-State area to provide sexual services to attendees of the big football game. Six of the children were found in Newark, NJ.

The positive outcome represented the culmination of months of investigative work by more than 50 federal and state law enforcement agencies. Prior to the Super Bowl, the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office had set up a Super Bowl sex trafficking task force that included the FBI.

The FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children Unit indicated that the victims had come to the New York City area from as many as 13 different states.

According to investigators, the investigation uncovered additional crimes. Authorities also rescued more than 50 adult women who had been forced into prostitution. Additionally, many of the more than 45 pimps who were arrested were found in possession of illegal guns.

The FBI said that it will be working with state and local authorities to ensure that the underage victims receive counseling, medical care, and access to educational opportunities.

For more information, see the HuffingtonPost.com article entitled “Super Bowl Prostitution Ring Forced Teens as Young as 13 into Sex Work: FBI.“

 

If you are facing sex crime charges in New Jersey, contact Morristown NJ criminal defense attorney Alissa D. Hascup for a free consultation about your case.