Phoenix police said 37 people have been arrested following a large-scale child sex crime and human trafficking operation.

Spokeswoman Sgt. Ann Justus said the department teamed up with other law enforcement agencies in the Valley.

“We had detectives in an undercover capacity posting ads and applications on websites that are commonly sought out by people who seek to engage in illegal sex acts with children. We were targeting sexual predators that engage in child sex crimes and human trafficking,” she said.

The ages of the perpetrators ranged from 21 to 66.  

In a press release, Justus said the sting, known as Operation Broken Hearts, involved police from Mesa, Tempe and Chandler as well as investigators from Homeland Security Investigations.