SALEM, Ore. (KOIN) – Investigators executed a search warrant at Cheetahs strip club after learning that an underage girl had been allowed to dance nude at the establishment.
The warrant was confirmed first by the FBI in Oregon when the agency released results of its national child sex trafficking operation “Operation Cross Country.”
The warrant was filed in state court, and was led by the Beaverton Police, according to the FBI and police.
Beaverton Police spokesperson Officer Bryan Dalton said the investigation began in July when detectives met the girl during an undercover prostitution “date.” Her exact age has not been released.
During the investigation, police determined that the girl had been dancing nude at Cheetahs. No arrests were made on Friday when the warrant was executed.
Attempts to reach Cheetahs management for comment were not immediately successful.
If anyone has information on minors dancing at Cheetahs, or any other strip club in the Portland Metro area, please contact Detective Chad Opitz, who assigned to the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, at 503-526-2674.
According to the FBI locally in Oregon, police in Portland recovered 1 minor sex trafficking victim during Operation Cross Country and arrested or cited 10 prostitutes. In Eugene, 10 adults prostitutes were arrested or cited.
“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,” said FBI Director James Comey in a prepared 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 a from a virtual prison no person ever deserves.”
Nationally and internationally, operations took place in a number of locations, including hotels, truck stops, and street corners. The FBI in Oregon said it would not disclose specific information about the stings, including their locations, to protect the integrity of future operations.