Dozens of missing kids were found and three people busted – including a sex offender – in a five-week-long citywide operation under the helm of US Marshals.
Officials tracked down 41 “critically missing children” – including those coerced by adults into criminal activity or sex trafficking, or frequent runaways – during “Operation We Will Find You 2,” which spanned more than a month and wrapped up on Monday, the US Marshals Service said.
A sex offender with local warrants was arrested, in addition to two other people, who were wanted on charges including robbery and parental kidnapping, according to the marshals.
Four cases – involving alleged assault, rape, sex trafficking and failure to register as a sex offender – were referred to law enforcement agencies for further investigation, marshals said.
“We are committed to leaving no stone unturned in our efforts to bring missing children home safely,” Ralph Sozio, the US Marshal for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement. “Through the collaboration of our law enforcement partners and community involvement, we aim to make a meaningful impact in safeguarding our children and bringing anyone who harms them to justice.”
The kids – some who suffered from mental illnesses – were found inside random apartments, others camping out in stairwells and still others living on the city streets, officials said.
While some previously lived in the city’s homeless shelters or foster care, others were from out-of-state and ended up in the Big Apple.
One of the suspects was placed in cuffs after coming off an international flight.
“There is an epidemic of missing children in the United States,” Vincent DeMarco, the US Marshal for the Eastern District of New York, said in a statement. “Missing children must be reported and found quickly because they are vulnerable to sex trafficking, exploitation and can suffer unimaginable harm. I am very proud of the results of this operation and the impact it will have on the children’s lives.”
Marshals from the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York were involved in the operation, along with members of the New York / New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force, Special Agents from HSI New York Human Trafficking Task Force, as well as NYPD Detectives from the Human Trafficking and Missing Persons Unit.
Experts from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children also lended a hand.
The US Marshals Service says it has recovered more than 2,000 missing children since 2005.
