U.S. Marshals, law enforcement, locate 25 missing and endangered children, including those trafficked, prostituted

Cleveland, Ohio– United States Marshal Pete Elliott, Police Chief Calvin Williams, Sheriff David Schilling, East Cleveland Police Chief Scott Gardner, and Newburgh Heights Police Chief John Majoy announce the recovery of dozens of children during the beginning of Operation Safety Net.

The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force have been working with local law enforcement agencies to identify missing children who are at high risk for human trafficking, abuse or neglect. Over 200 children are missing in the area.

The U.S. Marshals Service has been working with its state and local partners over the past 20 days to locate and recover missing juveniles from the Cuyahoga County area. So far, 25 missing and endangered children have been recovered, they have been between the ages of 13 and 18. Children have been recovered in Cleveland, East Cleveland, Akron, Mansfield, Euclid, Willoughby and as far away as Miami. Of these cases, about one fourth of them are confirmed to be related to human trafficking or prostitution.

Members of the task force and its local partners will continue to work over the next several weeks to bring more children to safety and return them to safe places.

Operation Safety Net is ongoing. Tips about where these kids may be can be called into the U.S. Marshals tip line at 1-866-492-6833.