Agents raid beach town home, rescue 16 minors used for sex

Santo Domingo.- Justice Ministry officials and police agents on Wednesday rescued 16 adolescent girls and boys who were being sexually exploited by a network of Dominicans and foreigners in the beach town of Boca Chica (east).

Arrested in the raid were 10 U.S. citizens "johns" and 6 Dominicans including four women were, accused of recruiting the minors for sexual purposes.

The Justice Ministry, the National Police Anti-organized Crime Dept. (DCO) and the International Justice Mission have been investigating sex tourism, exploitation and children trafficking in Boca Chica for several months, which led to bust of the network that used the minors to provide sex for foreigners.

In a raid Wednesday of a residence in the Alpes de San Isidro sector, 12 girls and 4 boys, 14 to 17 years old were found in a pool party, where cash, alcohol, drugs and condoms were also found.