Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe released the following statement regarding Operation Reclaim and Rebuild, which resulted in the arrest of nearly 200 people and the rescue of 12 juvenile victims of child sex trafficking:
“I want to congratulate the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles Police Department, and our federal partners on the tremendous success of Operation Reclaim and Rebuild. Thanks to the work of our law enforcement heroes, 12 children who were brutally forced into a life of exploitation and abuse are now on the path to a better life, and nearly 200 suspects and pimps are off the streets. There’s no such thing as a child prostitute. They are victims—manipulated emotionally and physically into a hellish life. Now free from the clutches of evil, these children will be connected with the lifesaving programs and services they need to escape their nightmare and get on the road to recovery.”