3 Suspected Prince George's Pimps Arrested in FBI Child Prostitution Sting

More than 100 children—the youngest only nine years old—were rescued in a nationwide sting targeting underage prostitution over the weekend, the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced Monday in DC.

According to the FBI, agents spent 72 hours working with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners as well as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to zero in on commercial child sex trafficking across the country in 76 cities, including Baltimore and Washington DC.

Operation Cross Country VII led to the arrests of 152 suspected pimps on both state and federal charges, the FBI reported, and 105 children, mostly girls, were rescued.

Fox 45 Baltimore reports that three of the individuals arrested had ties to Prince George's County. Two reside in the county and one from Philadelphia was operating a prostitution ring in the county.

“Child prostitution remains a persistent threat to children across America,” said Ron Hosko, assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “This operation serves as a reminder that these abhorrent crimes can happen anywhere, and the FBI remains committed to stopping this cycle of victimization and holding the criminals who profit from this exploitation accountable.”

The FBI and its task force have rescued more than 2,700 children from the streets, the agency reported and their investigations and 1,350 convictions have resulted in 10 life sentences and the seizure of more than $3.1 million in assets.