Police arrest 12 in child sex sting

I recently completed a series in the Tribune on Oakland's "dirty secret"of teen prostitution. Since then, Oakland police involved with an FBI sting rescued four child victims of human trafficking and arrested 12 people in connection with child prostitution charges. The arrests were part of larger federal sweep that lasted five days and targeted 16 cities across the country. Called "Operation Cross Country," the Justice Department-led effort capped five years of similar stings nationwide.

The children in Oakland peddled for sex are younger than ever before, and the problem is bigger than anyone imagined. Pimps can earn more for younger, healthier and prettier girls. Girls age 11 and 12 can earn as much as $500 a day for their pimps, police say.

Sexually exploited minors at Juvenile Hall: A twelve-year-old girl who has prostituted herself and is a victim of sexual abuse and exploitation writes on her arm, "I wanna go home." in Alameda County Juvenile Hall in San Leandro, Calif. (Alison Yin/The Oakland Tribune)
In addition, Assemblymember Sandré R. Swanson's (D-Oakland) landmark legislation to decriminalize sexually exploited youth gained unanimous support in the Senate Public Safety Committee Hearing with a bipartisan 5-0 vote.

The Chair of the Committee, Senator Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles) strongly endorsed the bill, and is now a principal co-author. “This is a very important issue, which has been in the news recently and I strongly support this legislation,” stated Senator Romero.

AB 499 will provide a vital safety net for children under 18 who have been forced into prostitution, child pornography, or have been victims of human trafficking by removing the standard law enforcement procedure that treats them as criminals rather than victims.

By Kamika Dunlap -- Oakland Tribune