CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Reality
“Operation H” was spearheaded in 2019 by New Zealand’s law enforcement, child exploitation team.
“This material depicted some of the most horrific abuse of children investigators had ever seen,” said Deputy Chief of Police Myron Demkiw, referring to the 90,000 accounts of those possessing or trading child abuse discovered by a national server.
A coordinated investigation by the RCMP, Europol, Interpol, FBI, and police departments world-wide resulted in 836 international cases with 46 New Zealand arrests.
100 children across the EU were removed from abusive homes and 146 children world-wide. 47 Canadians in 8 provinces were arrested, resulted in 186 charges, 12 children rescued,
Toronto Police Service officers arrested and charged six men, ages 31-41.
Jody and Clinton are homeless children from Tampa Bay, Florida who were transported to Santa Barbara and sold. Retired Secret Service Agent, turned private investigator Rebecca Simpson and her partner Dr. Penelope Barker rescue the children. After several days in a hospital, the children settle into El Refugio, a shelter Simpson and Barker started as a home for homeless children.
The detectives have a conversation with Jody.
“Can you tell us a little about what happened? We understand you were in Tampa Bay. Are you from there?"
"Ya, we're from Tampa Bay," Jody replied in almost a whisper not wanting to waken her brother.
“We were born there. Dad left when Clinton was about 4, I think. We’d see him sometimes but not very often. He and our Mom used to fight all the time, then he stopped coming by.
“The three of us got along okay I guess, then Gerald moved in.”
“Who was Gerald?” asked Rebecca.
“I don’t know. We never met him. All of a sudden one day he was there, and Mom introduced him as Uncle Gerald. But I’m not stupid, I knew what was going on.”
“How were things with the boyfriend? Did he treat your Mom and you guys okay?” asked Penelope.
“Ya, I guess. I mean, Clinton and I were at school all day and he was never up when we left, and he was there when we got home.”
“Do you know if he worked?” asked Penelope, trying to get a profile of who this man was which might lead to his whereabouts.
“I don’t know. I never really thought about it.”
Rebecca asked, “How did you end up on the street?”
“Clinton and I adjusted okay I guess, but after a few weeks he seemed to change. He would get angry for no reason. I knew he was drinking…a lot. One night he hit Mom so hard, it knocked her out.
“Clinton was crying, and I ran over to help her, but Gerald grabbed me by my hair,” she stopped and put her hands over her face reliving the horror.
“He threw me against the glass coffee table, and I cut my head, on the corner, I guess. I was bleeding pretty bad. Clinton came to help but he was scared of getting hit too.”
“What happened to your Mom. Did Gerald call an ambulance? asked Penelope.
“I guess. He dragged us both to my bedroom and told us to stay and I remember him raising his fist as though to hit me. He was pretty drunk by now. We never heard an ambulance.
“After a few hours, Clinton was asleep on my bed and it was real quiet in the house, so I crept out of my bedroom and into the living room. Mom was gone and Gerald was asleep on the couch…at least I thought he was.
“I was worried about Mom wondering where she was. I picked up the phone in the kitchen and was pushing numbers when Gerald grabbed me from behind and dragged me into the living room.
This is going to be a great novel! So much reality is woven into the plot that it will educate as well as entertain. The fight scenes in which my colleagues engage are epic.