56 Arrested In Maryland By Task Force Targeting Child Sex Exploitation
COLUMBIA, Md. (WJZ) -- Fifty six people were arrested in Maryland after a three-month long nationwide initiative targeting child sex exploitation.
Maryland State Police investigators arrested 21 of the suspects as a part of Operation Broken Heart.
The Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) was one of 61 task forces included in the initiative. ICAC initiated 426 investigations, executed 149 search warrants and did public outreach that helped 780 people.
The coordinated effort represents more than 4,500 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
The Maryland ICAC task force is comprised of agencies statewide and they concentrate on the offenders who possess, manufacture and distribute child pornography. They also work to identify those who engage in the online enticement of children for sexual purposes. They target crimes including child prostitution and human trafficking,
Here are the mugshots of 17 people arrested by Maryland State Police during Operation Broken Heart
Follow @WJZ on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook