By admin 
TOLLESON, AZ (AZFamily) — Two children were rescued in Tolleson from suspected sex trafficking, according to officials with the U.S. Marshals Service.
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The Phoenix Police Department requested help from the U.S. Marshals Service on July 16 to find a girl who had been missing since June 11. An investigation showed the girl was at “significant risk” of sexual exploitation, officials said.
Investigators interviewed someone the girl knew, which led them to a house in Tolleson. On Wednesday, deputies safely recovered the 16-year-old girl from the house.
Care was immediately coordinated for the girl, officials said, and she is currently receiving treatment.
While officials were rescuing the girl, another girl initially presented herself as an adult, but it was determined she was also a child who had left her family, officials said. She had not been reported missing.
Detectives contacted her family and arranged for the girl to seek assistance specifically for sex trafficking victims.
“This investigation began with the search for one endangered child and ultimately led us to a second juvenile who was also in an extremely vulnerable situation,” said U.S. Marshal Van Bayless. “These recoveries demonstrate why we never view a missing-child investigation as routine. Persistent investigative work and close coordination among our deputies and local and state partners allowed us not only to bring both juveniles to safety, but also to connect them with professionals who understand the profound trauma caused by trafficking and exploitation. Our work does not end when a child is located, it ends when that child is safe and can begin recovering.”
The Phoenix Police Department is investigating the alleged criminal activity associated with the case, but no arrests have been announced.
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