US Marshals find 39 missing children in Georgia during two-week sting, make nine sex trafficking arrests
A sting called Operation Not Forgotten netted 39 children who had been missing in Georgia
This week, US Marshals revealed that over three dozen missing children were recovered in the state of Georgia during a two-week sting dubbed “Operation Not Forgotten.”
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According to reports, Thursday, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr praised the rescue effort which was conducted in Atlanta and Macon, saying: “I cannot say enough about Operation Not Forgotten and the men and women behind it.”
“Thirty-nine – That’s how many young lives are getting a new start, and that’s how we measure success,” he pointed out proudly.
“The message to missing children and their families is that we will never stop looking for you,” director of the Marshals Service Donald Washington said in a press release that same day.
The rescue mission was masterfully executed by the US Marshals Service Missing Child Unit, the agency’s Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), and Georgia state and local agencies.
Authorities went on to explain that the missing children retrieved 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.”
US Marshalls also released videos and photos documenting the two-week-long operation. The footage shows workers flipping through files of missing children and police officers in bulletproof vests entering homes.
There is even a video that shows an officer consoling a rescued child in a car while reassuring the minor, “We’re going to get you something to drink.”
In another harrowing clip, three more officers are seen comforting a rescued child and bringing her to a car.
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“When we track down fugitives, it’s a good feeling to know that we’re putting the bad guy behind bars. But that sense of accomplishment is nothing compared to finding a missing child,” Darby Kirby, Chief of the Missing Child Unit, said.
“It’s hard to put into words what we feel when we rescue a missing child, but I can tell you that this operation has impacted every single one of us out here. We are working to protect them and get them the help they need.”
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