149 Children in Atlanta Rescued From Exploitation and Sex Trafficking

The seal of the F.B.I. hangs in the Flag Room at the bureau's headquarters in Washington. A recent FBI operation rescued 149 children. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

In less than a month, an FBI operation in Atlanta, Georgia, rescued 149 missing and exploited children as young as 3 years old and made 158 related “judicial actions” that include arrests and sentencings.

The rescues and arrests were part of “Operation Safe Summer,” which ran from May 1 to May 25. A June 5 FBI press release says the operation “was conducted near the start of the summer season to raise awareness and send an important message at a time the community’s children are most vulnerable to becoming targets for exploitation.”