On Friday, police in Arizona arrested 34 suspected child predators accused of targeting children for sex crimes and human trafficking.
“Operations Broken Hearts” is a multi-agency sting that nabbed both men and women ranging from 21 to 66. Most of the predators live in the Phoenix area, MSN reported.
The investigation conducted by officers and undercover agents used ads on websites and smartphone apps that are typically sought out by those looking to engage in illegal sex acts with minors, Phoenix Police Department stated in a news release.
The suspects arrested and charged in the sting responded to one of the ads under the belief that they were talking to a child and then “solicited and/or brokered deals for various sex acts,” the release added.
The large group faces charges that include human trafficking, child sex trafficking, attempted sex conduct with a minor, luring a minor for sexual exploitation, possession of dangerous drugs, and furnishing harmful material to a minor.
Police departments from Mesa, Tempe, and Chandler, alongside the Attorney General’s Office and Homeland Security Investigation, participated in the Phoenix police efforts.
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