"Sex buyers are not welcome."
That's the message Shane Harris, president of the People's Association of Justice Advocates, wants would-be predators to hear as San Diego Comic-Con International kicks off this week. Speaking at a news conference Monday alongside with city and county officials and community organizers, Harris said Comic-Con has increasingly become a target for human trafficking in recent years.
"We want to make it clear that this event is a fun tradition, not a tradition that will become a human trafficking hotbed," Harris said. "It is on all of us to keep our city safe during this annual event, to do what we can to make it clear that human and sex trafficking are not welcome here at Comic-Con, here in San Diego."
If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, call (858) 560-2191 or (800) 344-6000. Hotline staff are available 24/7.
During last year's Comic-Con, authorities launched a sting operation that led to 14 arrests and 10 trafficking victims rescued, including a 16-year-old. This year, advocates and law enforcement are taking a proactive approach, warning about the consequences of human and sex trafficking.
San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said Comic-Con itself is not the problem. Sex predators are drawn to large events like the pop culture convention because they provide opportunities to target victims.
"For some reason, when people are in a tourist state, they think it's OK to buy people for sex," Stephan said. "They think it's part of the entertainment, but it is no entertainment. It's about abuse, exploitation, about enslaving young girls, young women and boys and men."
San Diego County, due to its location near the border, ranks 13th in the country for child sex trafficking, according to the FBI. The agency estimates the region sees as many as 8,000 victims each year. Many of the victims are LGBTQ+ boys.
The San Diego Police Department said it will have a strong presence at Comic-Con to keep the event and attendees safe. The department is focused on preserving life — both emotional and physical — Lt. Travis Easter said.
"It really impacts not just youth, but everybody, and that's something that we don't want people to be subjected to," he said. "We do our best efforts to make sure that we combat that in every forum and to have officers available to respond to people and be available so that way they can reach out."
After last year's sting operation, Harris and Stephen pushed for Assembly Bill 379, which would increase the penalties for soliciting a minor for sex. That bill passed the Legislature earlier this summer and is now on Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk awaiting his signature.
If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, call (858) 560-2191 or (800) 344-6000. Hotline staff are available 24/7.
