Among those arrested are pimps and prostitutes — some of whom are in their 20s but are said to have admitted selling sex since their early teens, federal law enforcement sources told FOX News. (video)
The Justice Department said it targeted 16 cities as part of its "Operation Cross Country" that caps off five years of similar stings nationwide. To date, the federal child protection initiative has resulted in the recovery of about 433 victims, Mueller said.
Bloomberg reports that the internet has helped cultivate and grow a thriving child prostitution network.
Child prostitution is thriving in the U.S, spurred by online social networking sites, FBI Director Robert Mueller said today at a press briefing in Washington. Instead of forcing children to sell sex in public, pimps set up liaisons via computer, he noted.
``Because of the accessibility and the anonymity the Internet provides, Main Street is quickly becoming an online avenue,'' Mueller said.
