More than 300 arrested, 48 people rescued during human trafficking investigation

LOS ANGELES — A human trafficking sting in California led to hundreds of arrests and nearly 50 people rescued.

Among the 48 victims rescued, 14 were minors, and 339 people were arrested, authorities said Tuesday, announcing results of a recent three-day operation.

Those arrested included pimps who put up victims for sale and people seeking sex with underage teens, officials said, KTLA-TV reported.

One of the victims was a 17-year-old girl lured by a man she met online, KTLA-TV reported. She brought her 14-year-old sister with her, and they were forced into prostitution under threat of violence, the news station said.

The man then sold the girls to another pimp for $6,000, Los Angeles County Assistant Sheriff Maria Gutierrez said. Authorities tracked down the sisters and the suspect.

“We must help the young victims who are lured into sex trafficking and prosecute both the people who pay for sex with children and the traffickers who benefit financially from these horrendous crimes,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey said in a statement.

Authorities said they found 75 men who exchanged thousands of text messages over the three-day period, seeking to purchase sex.

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