Winnipeg police say they are investigating one of the largest sexual exploitation rings ever seen in the city, allegedly involving more than 30 children ranging in age from 18 months to 17 years. Patrol Sgt. Kelly Dennison said about 20 girls - aged 12 to 17 - were sold into prostitution. Dennison said the other children younger than age 12, including a baby of only 18 months, weren`t necessarily involved in prostitution, but were considered victims because they lived in the middle of the sex operation. "A minor can be corrupted if they`re subjected to constant abuse, constant alcoholism, if they`re in an environment where they have nowhere to go other than to observe certain things going on," Dennison said. So far, police have charged two women with procuring children for the purposes of prostitution, living off the avails of prostitution and corrupting children. Police said more arrests could be made as the investigation continues. The children involved in this case have been removed from three homes in Winnipeg`s west end. Jane Runner, who works with women and children trying to escape prostitution, said the allegations highlight the importance of addressing the root problems that make children vulnerable to sexual exploitation - poverty, homelessness and addiction. "If younger children are witnessing this, and this is all they`re seeing, it becomes normalized, it becomes the way of life," Runner said. "Those kids who are growing up in this kind of environment need to understand this isn`t a normal behaviour, activity." CBC