Thank You to Steve Beckow.
WTVC, August 27, 2020
(https://komonews.com/news/nation-world/nearly-40-endangered-missing-children-rescued-in-georgia-sex-trafficking-bust)
ATLANTA, Ga. (WTVC) — Dozens of children are now safe, and nine people behind bars after a sex trafficking bust by state and federal officials.
The U.S. Marshals Service announced the results of ‘Operation Not Forgotten‘ on Thursday.
For two weeks in August, U.S. Marshals and other agencies searched the areas around Atlanta and Macon, Georgia, looking for missing and exploited children.
As a result, they recovered 26 children and found 13 others who had been missing. Investigators say these children were considered to be some of the most at-risk and challenging recovery cases in the area.
“I cannot say enough about Operation Not Forgotten and the men and women behind it,” said Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr in a tweet, “39 – That’s how many young lives are getting a new start, and that’s how we measure success.”
“The U.S. Marshals Service is fully committed to assisting federal, state, and local agencies with locating and recovering endangered missing children, in addition to their primary fugitive apprehension mission,” said Director of the Marshals Service Donald Washington.
“The message to missing children and their families is that we will never stop looking for you.” Nine people were also arrested on a total of 26 warrants as part of the investigation, with charges related to sex trafficking, parental kidnapping, registered sex offender violations, drugs and weapons possession, and custodial interference.
“When we track down fugitives, it’s a good feeling to know that we’re putting the bad guy behind bars. But that sense of accomplishment is nothing compared to finding a missing child,” said Darby Kirby, Chief of the Missing Child Unit.
“It’s hard to put into words what we feel when we rescue a missing child, but I can tell you that this operation has impacted every single one of us out here. We are working to protect them and get them the help they need,” said Kirby.
‘Operation Not Forgotten’ was the culmination of several months of planning and coordination between the USMS, NCMEC, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Office of the Attorney General, Georgia Department of Family and Children Services, Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice, the FBI and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
