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‘This is awkward’: Massive child sex trafficking bust renews criticism of media hatred for ‘Sound of Freedom’

August 2, 2023 | | Print Article

A loss for corporate media was a major victory for victims of child sex trafficking after the Justice Department announced the results of “Operation Cross Country XIII.”

An ongoing nationwide initiative partnering the FBI with state and local officials proved to be a success as the agency announced its results Tuesday. A press release with statements from both Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray acknowledged the serious and exceedingly real danger threat that led to identifying and locating 200 victims.

“Through targeted operations and collaborative efforts, Operation Cross Country achieved significant milestones in recovering victims, apprehending offenders, and raising public awareness about these heinous crimes,” the DOJ statement said before noting, “The FBI and its partners located 59 minor victims of child sex trafficking and child sexual exploitation offenses and located 59 actively missing children during its 2-week operation in July.”

On top of the combined 200 victims identified and located, law enforcement officials also managed to identify and arrest 126 suspects of trafficking offenses and child sexual exploitation as well as 68 suspects of trafficking through their partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

Addressing the success of the operation, Garland said, “Sex traffickers exploit and endanger some of the most vulnerable members of our society and cause their victims unimaginable harm.”

“This operation, which located 59 actively missing children, builds on the tremendous work the FBI has undertaken over many years to rescue minor victims and arrest those responsible for these unspeakable crimes,” the attorney general continued.

“Human traffickers prey on the most vulnerable members of our society, and their crimes scar victims — many of them children — for life,” Wray remarked. “The FBI’s commitment to combatting this threat will never waver, and we will continue to send our message that these atrocities will not be tolerated.”

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The announcement came just two days after the annual World Day Against Trafficking where organizations like Operation Underground Railroad (OUR), It’s a Penalty, and the newly launched unKNOWN endeavored to not only raise awareness about the scourge of trafficking and child sexual exploitation, but to do something about it.

“Children around the world are suffering from horrific sexual abuse, many from the very people who are meant to protect them,” former football player Tim Tebow stated with the launch of unKNOWN. “For my 36th birthday, it is my hope and prayer we can come together to identify and protect as many children as possible.”

The DOJ report also came just four weeks after the Angel Studios’ production “Sound of Freedom” was released in theaters based on the true story of OUR founder and former Homeland Security Special Agent Tim Ballard’s efforts to combat the global sex slave trade.

Upon its release, the film starring outspoken Christian actor Jim Caviezel as Ballard was widely panned by leftists across corporate media as “QAnon-adjacent” and the stuff of conspiracy theory, in what appeared to be a deliberate attempt to quash the success of the film and the message that it was trying to deliver.

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Since then, not only has the film remained consistently in the top four or better at the box office with competition like “Barbie,” “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning,” “Oppenheimer” and “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” the little indie film that could has managed to pull in over $150 million thus far and held special screenings at Congress and former President Donald Trump’s Bedminster, New Jersey club.

That reality did not go overlooked on social media as commenters threw slams against “Sound of Freedom” and its important message that “God’s children are not for sale” back at the maligned media.

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Kevin Haggerty
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