29 In N.J. Charged In Nationwide FBI Prostitution, Pimp Bust

Twenty-nine people from New Jersey were charged in a nationwide prostitution and pimp bust, according to the FBI. The bust involved 10 New Jersey towns and six counties, officials said.

One 17-year-old was rescued in the local operation, and 29 prostitutes and pimps were arrested in New Jersey as part of Operation Cross Country X, according to the FBI in Newark and representatives from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Operations took place in a number of New Jersey locations, including hotels, truck stops and street corners. Minors recovered during an arrest are engaged with state protective services and victim assistance, according to the FBI.

Mike Whitaker, FBI spokesman in Newark, said that five prostitutes and three pimps — two male, one female — were arrested in Franklin Township in Somerset County. Others were arrested in Atlantic City.

Two pimps were charged in Atlantic County Superior Court, and 11 were charged in Atlantic City and Egg Harbor Township, Whitaker said.

Whitaker did not yet have the names available of the people arrested, but the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office had a partial list:

• Lee Pa, Age 43, Ash Avenue, Flushing, N.Y., Charged with Promoting Prostitution – Franklin Township Municipal Court, Bail - $1,000

• Dequan L. McDaniel, Age 22, Ann Street, Dover, N.J., Charged with Promoting Prostitution – Franklin Township Municipal Court, Bail - $2,500

• Li Pan, Age 31, College Park, Flushing, N.Y., Charged with Prostitution – Franklin Township Municipal Court, Bail - $1,000

• Qian Xiang, Age 28, Main Street, Flushing, N.Y., Promoting Prostitution – Franklin Township Municipal Court, Bail - $2,500

• Jameyah A. Warren-McClendon, Age 21, Halsted Street, East Orange, N.J., Prostitution – Franklin Township Municipal Court, Bail - $1,000

• Cashera T. Terry, Age 19, 2nd Street, Plainfield, N.J., Prostitution, Possession of Marihuana (u/50 grams) Franklin Township Municipal Court, Bail – ROR

Whitaker identified the departments that participated in Operation Cross Country X:

• Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office
• Atlantic County Sheriff’s Office
• NJ Human Services Police Department
• Egg Harbor Township Police Department
• Galloway Police Department
• Somers Point Police Department
• Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office
• Fairfield Police Department
• Essex Fells Police Department
• West Caldwell Police Department
• Caldwell Police Department
• New Jersey State Police
• Essex County Prosecutor's Office
• NY/NJ Port Authority Police Department
• Irvington Police Department
• Hudson County Prosecutor's Office
• Franklin Township Police Department
• New Brunswick Police Department
• Somerset County Prosecutors Office
• Middlesex County Prosecutors Office

The FBI-led initiative took place across the United States from Thursday through Sunday, according to the FBI. Domestically, there were 82 minors rescued and 239 traffickers and their associates arrested as part of Operation Cross Country X, focusing on underage human trafficking.

“Operation Cross Country aims to shine a spotlight into the darkest corners of our society that seeks to prey on the most vulnerable of our population,” FBI Director James Comey said in a statement.

“As part of this effort, we are not only looking to root out those who engage in the trafficking of minors, but through our Office of Victim Assistance, we offer a lifeline to minors to help them escape from a virtual prison no person ever deserves.”

Law enforcement partners from Cambodia, Canada, the Philippines and Thailand had operations in their respective countries. In Canada, as part of a corresponding effort called Northern Spotlight, authorities recovered 16 children, while in Cambodia, Thailand and the Philippines, authorities recovered 25 children, including a 2-year-old girl.

Authorities say Operation Cross Country X is the largest ever operation in the history of the initiative, with 55 FBI field offices and 74 Child Exploitation Task Forces representing more than 400 law enforcement organizations taking part. In addition, several dozen operations across Canada, and approximately 10 operations took place in six cities across Cambodia, Thailand and the Philippines.

“Sex trafficking of our children has no place in our society; the FBI, with our law enforcement partners, will continue to relentlessly pursue and bring to justice for their horrific crimes, those who prey on vulnerable children,” stated Timothy Gallagher, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Newark Division. “I would like to commend the FBI personnel, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and all the state and local law enforcement for protecting our children from a life of prostitution and their unwavering commitment to the eradication of child prostitution from our communities.”

Operation Cross Country X is part of the FBI’s Innocence Lost Initiative, which began in 2003. These teams work all year to recover minor trafficking victims. Since the inception of the program, there have been more than 6,000 child identifications and locations.

Photo: FBI