47 children rescued

WASHINGTON – More than 600 adults have been arrested and 47 children rescued in a three-day roundup targeting people who force children into prostitution.

The FBI said the roundup by federal, state and local law enforcement occurred in 29 cities, adding that the raids dismantled 12 large-scale prostitution operations run through call services, truck stops, casinos and Web sites.

At a news conference announcing the results of Operation Cross Country II, FBI Deputy Director John Pistole said the arrests were made possible by intelligence gathered during a similar series of raids in June.

“Sex trafficking of children remains one of our most violent and unconscionable crimes in this country,” Pistole said.

The 47 rescued children ranged in age from 13 to 17, and all but one are female. Of these, Pistole said, 10 had been reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

A total of 642 people were arrested. The FBI says they include 73 pimps and 518 adult prostitutes.

The operation was part of a larger, five-year initiative that has led to the recovery of 575 children and the dismantling of 36 criminal operations since June 2003.

Child prostitution has taken on a new urgency in recent years with the growth of online networks where pimps advertise the youngsters to clients. The FBI generally gets involved in child prostitution cases that cross state lines.

A University of Pennsylvania study estimated that nearly 300,000 children in the United States are at risk of being sexually exploited for commercial purposes.

“Make no mistake, the minors who were interdicted as a part of this operation are victims of the most extreme form of sex trafficking,” said acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich.

“It sadly remains the case even now in 2008 that there remain instances of children in the United States manipulated into prostitution by pimps willing to make a fast buck based on the most vulnerable among us,” he said.

WASHINGTON – About 320,000 Jardine cribs sold by Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us stores were recalled Tuesday after four children became trapped.

The wooden slats and spindles on the crib frames can break, allowing children to get trapped in the remaining gap. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reported 42 incidents of broken slats and spindles. This includes four instances of children getting trapped, two of whom suffered cuts and bruises.

The recalled cribs were manufactured in China and Vietnam by Jardine Enterprises and sold by Toys “R” Us Inc. retailers: KidsWorld stores, Geoffrey stores, Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us. KidsWorld and Geoffrey stores are not longer in operation, but sold the recalled cribs when they were open.

Earlier this year, Janine Nieman of East Stroudsburg, Pa. heard her son, Aiden, screaming first thing in the morning. She found him trapped with his body outside of the crib and his stuck head inside. One of the spindles had fallen out of the frame and he had slid through the gap up to his head. Nieman and her husband, Thomas, slid Aiden back into the crib. He came out of the ordeal shaken but uninjured.

“Anything that impacts the safety of children is of real importance,” said Nancy Nord, acting head of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. “This agency will not hesitate to recall products that are defective and we take very, very seriously our responsibility to our youngest consumers: babies and toddlers.”

Toys “R” Us spokeswoman Kathleen Waugh said this recall follows a comprehensive review by her company of all Jardine cribs.

“We are pleased with the swift action taken to affect a recall today by both Jardine and CPSC,” Waugh said. “The safety of the products we sell is of utmost importance.”

The cribs were sold around the country between January 2002 through May 2008.

For more information on the specific Jardine crib styles included in the recall, consumers can call 800-646-4106.

WASHINGTON – Consumer advocates are pressing the Treasury Department to develop detailed labels for alcoholic drink packaging to let people know how much alcohol is in each serving of liquor.

The groups want the department’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade bureau to expand the information included in a proposed requirement for alcoholic drink labels. Specifically, they want labels that reveal the amount of alcohol per serving, the definition of a standard drink and the U.S. dietary guidelines on drinking.

“I think people have no idea how much alcohol is in a standard drink,” Sally Greenberg, the executive director of the National Consumers League, said in an interview last week. “They need to know that to make the right choices.”

Last July, the Treasury Department published a proposed rule to label all alcoholic drink packages with percentage of alcohol by volume along with the number of calories, carbohydrates, fat and protein for a standard serving size. The comment period on the proposed rule ended in late January and the department is analyzing the results to determine if and how to move forward. There is no time frame for this process, said spokesman Arthur Resnick.

But consumer groups were upset that the label proposed in July did not list the amount of alcohol in each serving, the amount defined as a standard drink and the U.S. dietary guidelines for how many drinks an individual should have in a day.

A newspaper ad campaign launched last month and signed by 18 public health, nutrition and consumer organizations and officials urged Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to change the labels on alcoholic drinks to include such information along with the products’ nutritional details.

“When the TTB finally put out a proposed label, it didn’t include alcohol,” said Barbara Moore, nutritionist and president of Shape Up America! She said adding the total amount of alcohol would help people realize that alcohol itself is a significant source of calories.

The industry’s reception of such desired changes is mixed.

Peter Cressy, president of the Distilled Spirits Council, a trade group, favored two of the potential additions. “Knowing how much alcohol is in a serving of beer, wine or spirits and how that alcohol content relates to a standard drink helps consumers make responsible drinking decisions,” he said in a statement.

But other trade groups have different views.

The Beer Institute and the Wine Institute, which represents California wineries and wine businesses, both think that including the amount of alcohol per serving could confuse consumers.

“Use of fractional measurements of beverage volume and absolute alcohol content to prepare drinks or to make product comparisons requires complex calculations,” the Beer Institute said in its January comments to Treasury, adding that this is “likely to mislead consumers.”

Both trade groups also feel the standard drink size information does not have meaning for consumers, especially when they order a mixed drink in a bar.

Wendell Lee, general counsel for the Wine Institute said “Consumers may think they’re getting a standard drink” at the bar but “it’s not what happens in the real world.”

WASHINGTON – Mattel Inc. on Tuesday recalled more than 172,000 Fisher-Price kitchen toys in the United States and Europe because several children choked and gagged on small, detachable parts.

The company has received 48 reports of small parts separating from these toys, which feature a sink, a refrigerator and a range. One child choked on a detached piece and needed the Heimlich maneuver performed to remove the part. One child started to choke and two children had pieces in their mouths and gagged.

“Small parts choking hazards with toys is one of the most serious dangers to children in the United States,” Scott Wolfson, Consumer Product Safety Commission spokesman, said. “This should send a message to parents to take this toy away from the child immediately.”

The recall involves 155,000 toys sold in the United States, according to the CPSC. It also includes 7,000 items distributed in Britain, 4,900 in Italy, 4,900 in Germany and 394 in Austria. The Mexican-made toys were sold between May and October.

“We take toy safety very seriously, so we do everything we can to ensure the safety of our toys,” Fisher-Price spokeswoman Juliette Reashor said.

Mattel, the nation’s largest toy maker, issued two major recalls in August for lead-tainted toys and toys with small, powerful magnets that can cause intestinal perforations if swallowed. It issued another, smaller recall of lead-contaminated toys last month. All of the previously recalled toys were manufactured in China.

Reashor said the safety issue in Tuesday’s recall was not identified as part of the stepped-up oversight and testing of production processes that began after the August recalls.

For a free repair kit, toy owners should contact Fisher-Price at 888-812-7187. For more information, visit http://www.service.mattel.com or http://www.cpsc.gov.