In a two week long operation dubbed “Operation Not Forgotten”, US marshals have rescued 39 missing Georgia children.
The mission took place in Atlanta and Macon this month. Of the 39 children who have been rescued, 15 turned out to be victims of sex trafficking.
During the operation, nine criminals were arrested for various crimes. Some 26 warrants have been cleared, while new charges that were identified during the operation was filed for the courts.
The range of the crimes and the criminals that were involved were wide-ranging. From parental kidnapping to drugs and firearms violations as well as sexual crimes such as sex trafficking and other violations, the marshals brought justice to the lowest even among criminals.
Due to the scale and risks of the mission, the operation was a joint operation between federal and state authorities. From the federal Missing Child Unit to the local Georgia police, law enforcement officials from all corners of the US joined their forces for this large-scale operation.
This operation was both one of the most necessary and one of the most difficult to conduct. These children were considered the most vulnerable even among the missing child unit because they were highly likely to be connected with serious crimes such as sex trafficking.
Darby Kirby, who heads the Missing Child Unit as part of the US Federal Marshals, shared with the media what he finds the most rewarding in his work. He said that there is of course the thrill that he feels by brining justice to these criminals.
However, Kirby said that the best part of his work is always the accomplishment he and his men feel when they find a child who had gone missing. One can only imagine the relief that the children must feel when they are finally rescued by officers like Kirby.
However, Kirby points out the other side of the operation – what the officers feel when they know they have just rescued a troubled soul. Although he found it difficult to find the words to explain his exact feelings, Kirby said the work definitely impacts every officer involved.
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Replaced!