U.S. Marshals Service says 25 missing and endangered children have been recovered in Ohio operation
The U.S. Marshals Service says 25 missing and endangered children between the ages of 13 and 18 have been recovered in a 20-day mission called "Operation Safety Net."
The agency said in a press release late last week that it worked with state and local partners in Ohio on the effort to recover missing children from the state. The kids were recovered in Cleveland, East Cleveland, Akron, Mansfield, Euclid and Willoughby, and even Miami, according to the press release.
"Of these cases about one fourth of them are confirmed to be related to human trafficking or prostitution," the press release reads. "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."
The Marshals Service said it worked with several local police departments and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, among others, on the operation.
The agency completed a similar mission in Georgia last month, announcing they located 39 missing children in the state during a two-week mission known as "Operation Not Forgotten."
That operation led to the rescue of 26 children and the safe location of 13 others.
"These missing children were considered to be some of the most at-risk and challenging recovery cases in the area, based on indications of high-risk factors such as victimization of child sex trafficking, child exploitation, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and medical or mental health conditions," the press release reads.
