45 Missing children rescued in Ohio human trafficking raid

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• In a human trafficking bust that lasted for a month, US Marshals in Ohio and Virginia found 45 missing kids and arrested 179 people connected to human trafficking activities.
• Dubbed “Operation Autumn Hope”, the multi-agency operation also resulted in the arrest of another adult male in Jackson County where two other teens were found.
• In addition, a 15-year old boy carrying a loaded weapon and a suspect in a homicide was among those found during the recovery.

Authorities have announced Monday the end of a month-long anti-human trafficking mission in Ohio that led to the recovery of 45 exploited children and the arrest of 179 individuals.

Spearheading an operation called “Autumn Hope”, US Marshals Service in Ohio and Virginia located the missing children including a 15-year-old girl from Cleveland described as “high-risk” who was suspected of being tied to human trafficking activities.

”Autumn Hope” also led to the discovery of two other teenagers during a traffic stop in West Virginia resulting in the arrest of an adult male in Jackson County who was later charged with concealment of a minor child.

During the recovery, a 15-year-old boy was found with a loaded gun who authorities confirmed had two warrants and is suspected in several shootings and a murder.

The multi-agency raid was conducted by the marshals in cooperation with Ohio Attorney General’s Office and the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force as well as Ohio’s National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

“My thanks go out to all personnel who have stepped up for this operation.  I’m incredibly proud of them and pleased that they were able to apply those same skills to finding missing children. I know Operation Autumn Hope has made a difference in a lot of young lives,” said Peter C. Tobin, the US Marshal for the Southern District of Ohio.

The agency has carried out similar operations in the past.

Last month, “Operation Safety Net” led to authorities tracking down 35 missing children between ages 13 and 18 at the Cuyahoga County area, 20 percent of who were linked to human trafficking.

At that time, marshals also arrested 262 suspects including 141 gang members in Oklahoma as well as the rescue of five missing kids.

This August, 39 children were found in Georgia during “Operation Not Forgotten” while “Operation Homecoming” in September led to the recovery of eight missing children in Indiana.

Overall, officials say that missing children were found by the marshals in 75 percent of the cases they receive adding that 72 percent were normally recovered within a week. The agency has so far recovered over 2,000 missing children since 2005.

Source: New York Post