US Marshals find 39 missing children in Georgia in 'Operation Not Forgotten'

The nine suspects face a total of 26 charges, including sex offender violations

By Michael Ruiz | Fox News

A two-week mission to rescue endangered and missing children in Georgia led to the recovery of 39 juveniles and the arrests of nine suspects, the U.S. Marshals Service announced Thursday.

“The message to missing children and their families is that we will never stop looking for you,” Donald Washington, the director of the Marshals Service, said in a statement.

“Operation Not Forgotten” led to the rescue of 26 missing children and the safe location of 13 more, according to authorities.

Operation Not Forgotten resulted in the rescue of 26 children, the safe location of 13 children and the arrest of nine people. (Photo by: Shane T. McCoy / US Marshals)

The nine suspects face a total of 26 charges, including sex offender violations.

The Marshals assisted state and local authorities in a number of separate cases during the operation. The federal authorities periodically assist police with federal resources to help clear separate missing persons cases in a single operation.

Authorities said the missing children were at high risk of child sex trafficking, exploitation and abuse – and some suffered from medical and mental health conditions.

The 2015 Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act gave the Marshal's broader authority to assist state and local police departments tracking down missing children, regardless of whether fugitives or sex offenders are involved in the case, officials said.

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Just last year, the Marshals helped recover almost 300 missing children, according to authorities.

Human trafficking, also known as modern-day slavery, occurs in every state – victimizing mostly children and women.

Authorities said the missing children were at high risk of child sex trafficking, exploitation and abuse – and some suffered from medical and mental health conditions. (Photo by: Shane T. McCoy / US Marshals)

“When we track down fugitives, it’s a good feeling to know that we're putting the bad guy behind bars,” said Darby Kirby, chief of the Missing Child Unit. “But that sense of accomplishment is nothing compared to finding a missing child.”

“Operation Not Forgotten” involved months of planning before it began, authorities said. Other agencies involved include the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia’s Office of the Attorney General, the state’s departments of Family and Children Services and of Juvenile Justice, the FBI and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

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There were 417 human trafficking cases in Georgia last year, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

(Photo by: Shane T. McCoy / US Marshals)

In neighboring Florida, which has roughly double Georgia’s population, there were 896 human trafficking cases in 2019.

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On the federal level, the Justice Department (DOJ) secured convictions against 475 human traffickers in 2019, according to the State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report. Of those, 454 involved sex trafficking, and only 21 involved labor.

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Anyone who suspects human trafficking can call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at (888) 373-7888.

Pasco Sheriff Warns About 15 Apps

FOX 35 Orlando

PASCO COUNTY, Fla. - "Keep an eye on your children's social media platforms."

That's the warning for parents from the Pasco County Sheriff's Office after a 22-year-old man was arrested for allegedly raping a 10-year-old child he met through Snapchat.

According to the sheriff's office, Austin Altman drove to Hernando County to pick up the girl and then drove her back to his residence, where they said he raped her. The victim reportedly told Altman to stop at least four times.

The crime prompted the sheriff's office to release a list of apps that they said predators use to target kids.

"Over the weekend a 22 year old man was arrested for enticing a 10 year old girl out of her house and brought her back to Pasco County. Here are a list of apps all parents should be aware of."

The apps that deputies say parents need to monitor include:

Snapchat: It's one of the most popular apps of 2018. While the app promises users can send a photo or video and it will disappear, recent features allow users to view content for up to 24 hours. Snapchat also allows users to see your location.

Bumble: It's similar to the popular dating app, Tinder, however, it requires women to make the first contact. Kids have been known to use Bumble to create fake accounts and falsify their age.

Kik: This app allows anyone to contact and direct message your child, sometimes anonymously. Kids sometimes use Kik to bypass traditional text messaging features. Kik gives users unlimited access to anyone, anywhere, anytime.

Calculator%: This is one of several secret apps used to hide photos, videos, files, and browser history.

Hot or Not: This app encourages users to rate other users' profiles, with the focus on physical appearance. It also allows users to check out people in their area and chat with strangers. The sheriff says the goal of this app is to "hook up."

Tiktok: It's a new app popular with kids that's used for creating and sharing short videos. With very limited privacy controls, users are vulnerable ot cyber bullying and explicit content.

Whatsapp: This is a popular messaging app that allows users to send texts, photos, voicemails, as well as make calls and video chats.

Grindr: This dating app is geared toward gay, bi and transgender people. It gives users options to chat, share photos and meet up based on a smart phone's GPS.

Skout: It's a location-based dating app. While users under 17 years old are unable to share private photos, kids can easily create an account with an older age.

Meetme: It's a dating social media app that allows users to connect with people based on geographic proximity. The app's users are encouraged to meet each other in person.
LiveMe: This live-streaming video app uses geolocation to share videos so users can find out a broadcaster's exact location. Users can earn coins within the app and use them as a way to pay minors for photos.

Holla: The app's makers admit it's an "addicting" video chat app. It allows users to meet people all over the world in just seconds. Reviewers say they have been confronted with racial slurs, explicit content, and more.

Whisper: This is an anonymous social network that promotes sharing secrets with strangers. It also reveals a user's location so people can meet up.

Badoo: This is a dating and social networking app where users can chat, share photos and videos based on location. The app is intended for adults only, but teens are known to create profiles.

Ask.fm: This app has become known for cyberbullying. The app encourages users to allow people to anonymously ask them questions.

Last month, the Sarasota Sheriff's Office released a list of 21 apps to watch out for after 23 suspected child predators were arrested during "Operation Intercept VII."

Florida police arrest 23 suspected child predators and traffickers through online sting

By Morgan Phillips

Florida deputies arrested 23 suspected child predators and human traffickers during a recent four-day sting operation, all of which used online applications to seek out children, police said, according to Fox 13.

“Operation Intercept VII” targeted people who allegedly traveled to the county to meet minors for sex. The suspects arrested were between the ages of 21 and 77.

Those arrested allegedly responded to online ads, apps and social media websites, believing they were talking to children, but those "children" were actually undercover detectives. Police say one man sent over 90 sexually explicit photos to the detective.

The detectives provided an address for meet-ups, where authorities would be waiting. Deputies said several men brought condoms, one brought candy and one brought a sex toy.

“I wish I could say these operations were no longer needed but time and time again, even after we make dozens of arrests, these men keep coming back for more,” Sarasota County Sheriff Knight said in a press conference, according to Fox 13. “In this digital world we live in, innocent children are far too accessible to predators. That is why, as parents, we have to get serious about prevention. Parents are the first line of defense and we will never stop reminding our community of that.”

The sheriff’s office previously released a list of 15 apps about which parents should be leery. The apps, officials said, are often used by predators looking for children.

On Friday, investigators added yet more apps to that list.

The list included common dating apps such as Bumble, Grindr, Plenty of Fish and Zoosk. It also included messaging apps such as Snapchat, Whatsapp and Kik, and TikTok, an app beloved by Gen Z which allows users to create and share short videos.

Following the arrest of another 23 men for traveling to meet a child for sex, we are re-releasing our list of #AppsParentsShouldKnowAbout. During our latest initiative, #OperationInterceptVII, 23 men utilized apps including Plenty of Fish, HILY, MocoSpace and Zoosk to connect with boys and girls who they believed were 14-YEARS-OLD. Also new to our list is an app called "Monkey" - it is rated for kids "12 and up" but also has "mild sexual content and nudity."

PARENTS: WE WILL KEEP UPDATING THIS LIST SO LONG AS THESE MOBILE APPS ARE UTILIZED BY PEOPLE WHO WANT TO PREY ON YOUR CHILDREN. LOOK THROUGH YOUR CHILD'S PHONE. PREVENTION STARTS IN THE HOME.

Ohio child sex trafficking sting nabs more than 100, including church leader, ER doctor

By Danielle Wallace - Fox News

Ohio police make over 100 arrests in massive human trafficking and child sex sting.

More than 100 are arrested in Ohio on charges linked to human trafficking and attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. The arrests were made during a four-part simultaneous operation involving more than 30 law enforcement agencies. Over 40 women were also arrested for prostitution, with some being placed in a human trafficking rehabilitation program.

More than 100 people, including a medical doctor and a church youth director, were arrested as part of a massive human trafficking and child sex sting operation based in central Ohio, according to a report.

Those arrested included 24 men caught when they showed up at an undisclosed location with the intention of meeting a child for sex, Maj. Steven Tucker of the Franklin County Sheriff's Office said.

"They show up with sex toys, they show up with lubrication. They show up with things that clearly somebody isn't going to show up to a house with, unless they intended to engage in sexual activity."

— Maj. Steven Tucker, Franklin County Sheriff's Office

The 24 suspects were charged with attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and importuning, Columbus’ WBNS-TV reported.

The total group of 104 suspects included Christian Gibson, 26, a former youth director at Redeemer's at Courtright Church in Columbus, and Austin Kosier, 31, an emergency room doctor, authorities said, adding that the sting was focused on Franklin, Fairfield and Delaware counties.

Christian Gibson, 26, left, a former church youth director, and Austin Kosier, 31, a medical doctor were both charged with attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and importuning, authorities say.

School bus caravan raises awareness of child sex trafficking

By: Claire Simms, FOX 5 News

Six dozen bright yellow school buses wound their way through the streets of Atlanta Wednesday to raise awareness of the problem of child sex trafficking in Georgia.

"It's a difficult reminder that these statistics represent lives and these lives, our kids are not invisible," said Bob Rogers, president of the nonprofit group Street Grace.

Each of the 72 buses represented 50 children in Georgia who are sold into sex slavery each year for a total of 3,600, according to the organization.

Street Grace and the Georgia Attorney General's Office partnered to put on the awareness event.  They, along with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, have also launched the "Demand an End Georgia Initiative" to help stop child sex trafficking by going after customers.

"By Super Bowl Sunday, February 3rd all buyers and traffickers will know that Georgia does not tolerate those who seek to exploit our state's children," said Attorney General Chris Carr.

Carr said that educating the public about child sex trafficking and the warning signs is a huge part of combating the problem.

For more information on how you can help, visit www.StopTraffick.com. 

36 convicted in largest international sex trafficking ring brought down by federal government

Dozens of people have been convicted for their role in a massive international sex trafficking organization based out of Thailand, which sold women in a variety of U.S. cities, including Minneapolis.

A federal jury handed down the convictions for five defendants Wednesday in U.S. District Court in St. Paul. Thirty-one other defendants had previously pleaded guilty in the case.

At a press conference, officials stated that this was the largest sex trafficking ring ever dismantled by the federal government.

Sex trafficking is an industry that is built on supply and demand and this organization fed that industry,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Erica MacDonald. “It exploited, it abused, enslaved, and sold women in response to the high demand of commercial sex that exists not only in the United States, but here in Minnesota.”

After receiving a tip about the operation in 2014, authorities in Minnesota managed to take down the international sex trafficking ring in 2016.

The victims, all women in their 30's, were smuggled from Bangkok, Thailand and sold in cities all over the country, including Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago and D.C.

The U.S. Attorney said that the women were sold like cattle until they could pay off a bondage debt. The operation went on for more than a decade and generated tens of millions of dollars. There were hundreds of victims and thousands of men who purchased these women.

Officials say that many of the women were misled to believe that participating in the scheme would lead to a better life.

“It was an organization that brought poor and vulnerable women from Thailand to the United States where they were forced to engage in sexual acts, every day all day and they couldn’t walk away,” said MacDonald.

Many of the victims are working to rebuild their lives. The defendants in the case will face sentencing next year.

Dozens of children’s medications recalled after microbial contamination

ST. LOUIS, MO — Pharmaceutical company King Bio has issued a voluntarily recall of 32 children’s medications because they tested positive for microbial contamination.  A notice listed on the FDA’s website says that some products produced between 08/01/2017 and 04/2018 could potentially result in increased infections that may require medical intervention.


The infections could be life-threatening to some people. King Bio tells the FDA that they have not received reports of injury or illness to date.


The FDA has provided this list of King Bio products in the voluntary recall:

Description

Packaging

Intended use

UDF_UPC

DK Attention

& Learning Enh.

2 oz. bottle

A natural aid for: slow or difficult comprehension, overexcitement, writing wrong words or syllables, oversensitivity, forgetfulness, lack of assertiveness, shyness, apprehension.

357955501527

Chicken Pox Symptom Relief

2 oz. bottle

For temporary relief of multiple symptoms including intense itching from skin rash and vesicles (blisters), headache, fever, swollen glands, cough, sore throat, tummy ache, irritability, restlessness, fatigue, and loss of appetite.

357955602521

Children’s Appetite & Weight

2 oz. bottle

For relief of hunger – appetite suppression to control that empty feeling in the stomach otherwise relieved by eating. For weight control – maximizes the metabolism to eliminate cravings and metabolic tendencies to gain weight. It promotes healthy weight loss and supported the emotional balance and motivation necessary to reach and maintain a healthy weight.

357955551720

Children’s Appetite Enhance

2 oz. bottle

a natural aid for: loss of appetite, no desire to eat, aversion to food, and inability to bear the sight or smell of food.

357955531821

Children’s Cough Relief

2 oz. bottle

For temporary relief of cough symptoms: dry or hoarse cough, hacking, barking, tickling or spasmodic cough, croupy cough and throat irritation, and excess mucus.

357955514527

Children’s Fever Reliever

2 oz. bottle

For symptomatic relief of: fever, sweats, chills, aches.

357955515920

Children’s Growth & Development

2 oz. bottle

A natural aid for: impaired growth, weak muscular growth, loss of appetite, poor mineral absorption, nervousness, lack of focus, mental weakness, loss of confidence.

357955514220

DK Newborn Tonic

2 oz. bottle

For temporary relief of symptoms: skin rashes, discoloration, minor skin problems, pimples, restlessness. If symptoms persist for more than 7 days, consult your physician.

357955511427

DK Nosebleed Relief

2 oz. bottle

For temporary relief of: nosebleeds commonly associated with irritations or strains, colds, coughing, sneezing or menses. Also for nighttime nosebleeds.

357955514022

TonsilPlex

2 oz. bottle

For temporary relief of: sore throat, inflammation, swollen glands, difficulty swallowing, associated fever, redness and burning, sensation of a lump in the throat, congestion, and mucus.

357955501725

Children’s Ear Relief Formula

2 oz. bottle

For temporary relief of symptoms: clogged sensation, noises in ear, accumulation of ear wax.

357955531524

DK Teething

2 oz. bottle

For temporary relief of symptoms: teething pain, irritated gums, delayed teething, fever-like disturbances, restlessness, heavy salivation and drooling, irritability, desire to be held constantly.

357955501824

DK Colic Relief

2 oz. bottle

For temporary relief of: abdominal discomfort, pressure, and distention, spitting up, gas and bloating, cramping, pain, irritability, desire to be held constantly, weak digestion, restless sleep.

357955515821

Tummy Aches

2 oz. bottle

For temporary relief of symptoms: upset stomach, nausea, vomiting, aversion to food, stomach cramps, hollow, empty, or sinking feeling, pale or flushed skin, headaches.

357955514626

Kids Multi- Strain Flu Relief

2 oz. bottle

Temporarily relieves flu-like symptoms: fever, body aches, chills, night sweats, irritability, restlessness, flushed face, burning in eyes, nausea, vomiting, headache, diarrhea, sneezing, nasal congestion, sore throat, swollen tonsils, cough, and fatigue.

357955042228

Kids Stress & Anxiety

2 oz. bottle

For temporary relief of symptoms: minor anxiety, fear, irritability, nervousness, minor mood swings, restlessness, stage fright, nervous stomach, oversensitivity.

357955042327

Kids Sleep Aid

2 oz. bottle

For temporary relief of symptoms due to occasional sleeplessness: restlessness, nervousness, exhaustion, excitability, inability to fall or stay asleep, worry.

357955042426

Kids Bed Wetting (NP)

2 oz. bottle

For relief of involuntary urination during sleep, urinary disturbances, and restless sleep.

357955501220

Kids Candida 4 oz

4 oz. bottle

For symptomatic relief of Candida yeast overgrowth: thrush, cradle cap, pimples, tummy aches, constipation, craves sweets and odd foods, lethargy, lack of assertiveness, forgetfulness, spacey, poor concentration, irritable, moody, weak muscles, itchy skin and head, overexcitement and fearfulness.

357955332244

Kids Attention & Learning (SCRX)

2 oz. bottle

A natural aid for: slow or difficult comprehension, overexcitement, writing wrong words or syllables, oversensitivity, forgetfulness, lack of assertiveness, shyness, apprehension.

357955001522

Bed Wetting Prevention (SCRX)

2 oz. bottle

For relief of involuntary urination during sleep, urinary disturbances, and restless sleep.

357955001225

Chicken Pox Symptom Relief (SCRX)

2 oz. bottle

For temporary relief of multiple symptoms including intense

itching from skin rash and vesicles (blisters), headache, fever, swollen glands, cough, sore throat, tummy ache, irritability, restlessness, fatigue, and loss of appetite.

357955782520

Childrens Cough (SCRX)

2 oz. bottle

For temporary relief of cough symptoms: dry or hoarse cough, hacking, barking, tickling or spasmodic cough, croupy cough and throat irritation, and excess mucus.

357955014522

Children’s Ear Formula (SCRX)

2 oz. bottle

For temporary relief of symptoms: clogged sensation, noises in ear, accumulation of ear wax.

357955075721

Children’s Fever Reliever (SCRX)

2 oz. bottle

For fast relief of fever, sweats, chills, shakes, aches, vomiting, rheumatic pains, muscular soreness, nausea, faintness, lethargy, fears, irritability, and oversensitivity.

357955015925

Children’s Growth

& Development (SCRX)

2 oz. bottle

To maximize children’ s growth potential and enhance development. Stimulates the body’s ability to digest‚ absorb and use food for maximum growth and development

357955014225

Colic Relief (SCRX)

2 oz. bottle

For temporary relief of: abdominal discomfort, pressure, and distention, spitting up, gas and bloating, cramping, pain, irritability, desire to be held constantly, weak digestion, restless sleep.

357955015826

Newborn Tonic (SCRX)

2 oz. bottle

For temporary relief of symptoms: skin rashes, discoloration, minor skin problems, pimples, restlessness. If symptoms persist for more than 7 days, consult your physician.

357955011422

Teething (SCRX)

2 oz. bottle

For temporary relief of symptoms: teething pain, irritated gums, delayed teething, fever- like disturbances, restlessness, heavy salivation and drooling, irritability, desire to be held constantly.

357955501824

Tummy Aches (SCRX)

2 oz. bottle

For temporary relief of symptoms: upset stomach, nausea, vomiting, aversion to food, stomach cramps, hollow, empty, or sinking feeling, pale or flushed skin, headaches.

357955014621

Children’s Appetite

& Weight (SCRX)

2 oz. bottle

temporarily brings relief to symptoms of contributing to:

excessive appetite; constitutional tendency to gain fat; cravings for sweats and starches; water retention; overeating; ravenous hunger; excess weight; abdominal fat.

357955251729

Children’s Appetite Enhancer (SCRX)

2 oz. bottle

For natural relief of loss of appetite, no desire to eat, aversion to food, and inability to bear the sight or smell of food. Helps to naturally revitalize after gradual loss of weight from impaired nutrition.