Seven children, including a teen sex trafficking victim, were found by the Genessee County Sheriff’s Office after conducting a sweep with the Genesee Human Oppression Strike Team.
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According to NBC 25 News, the GHOST operation split into seven teams of four men to perform the search around the county for the missing victims. Among the missing was a 16-year-old girl who was found lock in a barn surrounded by a fence covered in barb while. Deputies arrested her captor and he is currently in custody at the Genesee County Jail. During a press conference, Sheriff Christopher R. Swanson announced that the team has arrested 17 individuals who wanted to have sex with the underage victims after investigators used fake social media profiles.
Authorities received word of their disappearance after their absences were reported by schools, courts, or family members and attempted to perform a wellness check.
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The suspects involved would often use grooming techniques to lure the victims and used social media to recieve payment from customers who wanted to have sex with children under the age of 15, said Swanson.
“So, it’s the promise of something better. If someone’s seeking love, they promise them, love. If someone’s seeking shelter, they promise them shelter. Whatever it is, they groom them. It could happen at a school like this, or it could happen on the side of the road. So, that’s the sign you need to see. Who is lacking and who’s providing? And once they lock on, then they become property; and they become very possessive to the point where they see them as property, and they could kill them in a minute.”
Currently, 20 other children are still reported missing as the search continues to rescue them.