ATLANTA (WSVN) — The FBI says they have rescued over 200 missing or exploited children after a massive operation in Atlanta.
According to an FBI statement, 231 children were located between May 1 and May 24 as a part of Operation Safe Summer II.
The operation was conducted as part of a partnership between 27 local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.
“Thanks to the month-long efforts of our partners, 231 children are no longer vulnerable to predators who would seek to exploit them,” said FBI special agent Chris Hacker.
According to the National Center for Missing Exploited Children, in 2018, over 23,500 runaways were reported to the center, and one in seven were likely to be victims of child sex trafficking.
In 2016, 11% of the endangered runaways were believed to be involved in gangs.
It is estimated that as of March 2019, about 419 missing or runaway children are believed to be on the streets of Metro Atlanta.
The FBI said the end of the operation coincided with National Missing Children’s Day, May 25.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.