Nationwide child prostitution crackdown; Atlanta included

WASHINGTON - More than 45 suspected teenage prostitutes have been rescued in a nationwide sweep to remove kids from the illegal sex trade.

Atlanta was among 23 U.S. cities where federal agents and local police also arrested more than 50 alleged pimps during the three-night initiative called Operation Cross Country. It's part of a broader federal program to crack down on the sexual exploitation of children.

Some of the teenage prostitutes taken off the streets were as young as 13.
FBI Deputy Assistant Director Daniel Roberts says they consider the teenagers ``the child victims of prostitution.'' He says many are runaways with no family support and no friends.