Law enforcement officials said Monday that 131 people were arrested in a prostitution and child exploitation sting between July 6 and July 12 in conjunction with the Major League Baseball All-Star game in San Francisco.

Oakland police spokesman Roland Holmgren said the sting was conducted because "a significant number" of Oakland-based prostitutes ply their trade at high profile events such as baseball all-star games, pro football's Super Bowl and the Hot August Nights festivities in Reno every summer.

Of the 131 arrests made by 10 agencies that worked together, 46 were in San Francisco, 40 were in Oakland, 28 were in other parts of Alameda County, 11 were in San Jose and three each were in South San Francisco and Campbell, Holmgren said.

Holmgren said law enforcement officials conducted undercover operations, posed as prostitutes and engaged in Internet stings.

Joining Holmgren at a news conference at the state building in Oakland, Nola Brantley, the director of the Sexually and Commercially Exploited Youth program in Oakland, said child prostitution has become "an epidemic" in the city, partly because many foster care and group homes are located there and pimps recruit girls at such facilities.

"Oakland is a hub for commercial sex exploitation," Brantley said.

She said pimps recruit young girls from all over California as well as from out of state to come to Oakland.

Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums said his city can't continue to "have children exploited every day."

Dellums said the solution is to coordinate law enforcement and social services efforts from local, state and federal agencies.

"Band-aid and one-dimensional approaches won't work," he said.

Results:

The following operations resulting in more than 131 arrests:

South San Francisco PD - Internet Sting

3 prostitution arrests, including 1 juvenile, who brought her 8-month old child with her

San Jose PD - Internet and trolling operations

11 prostitution or loitering arrests

Campbell PD - Internet

3 arrests

Alameda County SAFE TF - Internet

28 arrests, including 1 juvenile 11 towed vehicles 3-month-old infant taken into protective custody

San Francisco PD - Trolling

46 arrests, including 1 juvenile

Oakland PD - Trolling

40 arrest, including 1 juvenile 3 guns recovered