FBI Busts Super Bowl Sex Trafficking Ring

Thanks to a team effort from FBI and local law enforcement, 129 adults in all were picked up or cited for prostitution and 85 clients were arrested in the weeks leading up to, and during, the Super Bowl week.

Additionally, sixteen juveniles, ranging from 13 to 17 years-old, were rescued from forced prostitution in the San Francisco Bay Area during Super Bowl week, authorities announced Tuesday.

 “High-profile special events, which draw large crowds, have become lucrative opportunities for child prostitution criminal enterprises,” said Ron Hosko, assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI and our partners remain committed to stopping this cycle of victimization and putting those who try to profit from this type of criminal activity behind bars.”

The most high-profile case was the Denver Broncos’ Ryan Murphy, who was detained in a prostitution sting and sent back to Denver before the big game on Sunday.

To date, the FBI and its task force partners have recovered more than 3,100 children. The investigations and subsequent 1,400 convictions have resulted in lengthy sentences, including 11 life terms and the seizure of more than $3.1 million in assets.