Task force operations usually begin as local enforcement actions targeting such places as truck stops, casinos, street "tracks," and the Internet, based on intelligence gathered by officers working in their respective jurisdictions. Initial arrests are often violations of local and state laws relating to prostitution or solicitation.
Information gleaned from those arrested often uncovers organized efforts to prostitute women and children across many states. FBI agents further develop this information in partnership with U.S. Attorney's Offices and the U.S. Department of Justice's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and file federal charges where appropriate.
More than 8,500 local, state, and federal law enforcement officers and agents representing 414 separate agencies participated in Operation Cross Country and ongoing enforcement efforts.
The San Diego Innocence Lost Task Force (SDILTF) coordinated efforts in San Diego County. This multi-agency task force is comprised of detectives, officers, and agents from the San Diego Police Department, Oceanside Police Department, San Diego Sheriff’s Department, Escondido Police Department, and the FBI. SDILTF is part of the Innocence Lost National Initiative that brings state and federal law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and social service providers from across the country to NCMEC, where the groups train together.
To date, the 47 Innocence Lost Task Forces and Working Groups have recovered more than 2,200 children from the streets. The investigations and subsequent 1,017 convictions have resulted in lengthy sentences, including eight life terms and the seizure of more than $3.1 million in assets.
