Operation Stolen Innocence: 170 people charged in Tallahassee child sex trafficking network

More than 170 people have been charged in a massive investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and its state and federal partners into the sex trafficking of a young girl.

Some 106 defendants were charged with felonies, including human trafficking, lewd and lascivious battery and possession of child pornography. Another 72 were charged with misdemeanors, including solicitation. Nineteen of the defendants face federal charges.

On Tuesday, TPD Chief Lawrence Revell and state and federal officials announced results of Operation Stolen Innocence, a two-year investigation into the sex trafficking of the girl, who was 13 and 14 years old when the offenses occurred.

Revell, during a news conference outside Police Headquarters, said the operation was perhaps the largest of its kind in TPD history. And while prosecutors said it's difficult

The investigation began in November 2018 after TPD investigators spotted images of a child posted on a website with sex-for-pay listings, Revell said in a news conference outside Police Headquarters.

https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/local/2020/11/17/170-plus-people-charged-massive-child-sex-trafficking-investigation-tallahassee/6322374002/