A federal sex sting rescues more than 50 children from prostitution. The FBI says during Operation Cross Country IV, a three-day operation federal, state and local authorities and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children says it arrested 60 pimps and 52 children were rescued too.
The Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office reports a total of nine people were arrested in connection with the online prostitution sting including prostitution and pimping.
FOX23’s Abbie Alford shows us how local authorities are catching illegal sex offerings online.
The Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office says ads for more than a massage service or body rub on Backpage.com.
They found women and pimps doing business on the high-tech equivalent of the street corner.
For $175 for an hour “Cherokee Princess” will give you a full hour of adult pleasure.
The reason it’s legal, sex or sex acts are not up for sale. However, investigators can read between the lines.
"It's a little coded and you have to look for some key words,” says Sgt. Bob Darby, Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office.
Words that are too explicit to publish but undercover deputies who are following up on the ads say all it took was a phone call and a meeting place to find prostitutes and pimps.
"We didn't dance around. We told them exactly what we were looking for. Name the price and they were ready to rock and roll," says Darby.
Authorities say while they did not find children involved in the local online sting some of the women were as young as 18 years of age.
"We were targeting juveniles but these girls and guys that we popped were barely legal (age)," says Darby.
One father fears for thousands of children who go unreported who are forced into the sex trade.
"You hear about kids being abducted all over the country and some of it is really tragic," says Alan Hadley. It's really scary out there when you hear about these things.”
Craigslist.com is another popular online classified advertising website. Oklahoma along with 41 other states requires a phone number and payment with a credit card for Craiglist users posting erotic service ads.
Some of the money generated is provided to charities to fund efforts to keep children from being victims of the sex trade.
Adult prostitution and pimping is a misdemeanor crime in Oklahoma. However, FOX23 is being told that if there are prior convictions it could force someone to register as a sex offender.
In Oklahoma City, the FBI reports during Operation Cross Country IV, there were ten arrests, none involving children.
The FBI says it used online services and other resources to catch offenders.
