LAPD: 139 arrests made in operation targeting online crimes against children

Authorities on Wednesday announced that 139 people had been arrested in connection to an expansive list of internet crimes committed against children across Southern California. 

"The goal of operation was to identify and arrest predators who are using the internet to facilitate the sexual abuse of children and to rescue children from predators," Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement.

The multi-agency task force, which included units from 102 different agencies in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, conducted "Operation Online Guardian" in early July to conduct the arrests, according to LAPD.

"Child exploitation is one of the most horrendous crimes affecting our most vulnerable members of the community," said Joseph McNally, the first assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California. "Through these crimes, predators target those who can't protect themselves."

LAPD Chief Michel Moore also spoke at the press conference. 

"These investigators will tell you that all one needs to do — as we do in the first step in going undercover and looking at these platforms — is to see the horrific volume of predators that are actively pursuing the opportunity to identify vulnerable victims and to abuse them, and to destroy their lives," Moore said. 

On top of LAPD personnel, the massive operation also included officials with Homeland Security, police from departments in Glendale, Long Beach, Laguna Beach, Burbank, Redondo Beach, Montclair and San Bernardino, as well as deputies from Ventura, Los Angeles and San Bernardino County Sheriff's Departments. 
  
"The LAPD ICAC unit, as the lead agency, is the primary clearing house for all CyberTips, associated to the five Southern California counties, received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children," LAPD said in a statement. "The CyberTips include reports from various Internet Service Providers and citizens reporting incidents that involve the possession, distribution and manufacturing of child sexual abuse material, and the online sexual exploitation of children."

The operation was conducted in two phases between July 10 and July 21. 

"The first phase included proactive undercover investigations on a variety of social media platforms," police said. "The second phase included the service of multiple residential search warrants throughout the five counties, in addition to arrest warrants, which focused on child predators."

Authorities arrested the 139 suspects on a wide array of crimes, which included:

• sodomy of a child under 10 years of age, 
• continuous sexual abuse of a child,
• lewd acts with a child,
• meeting a minor for lewd purposes/sex,
• contact/attempt contact with minor for sex,
• sending obscene matter to a child for sex,
• penetration with a foreign object by force or fear,
• sodomy,
• possession of child sexual abuse material,
• distribution of child sexual abuse material,
• child annoying,
• failure to register as a convicted sex offender,
• violation of conditions of parole,
• violation of conditions of probation.

"During the operation, our dedicated investigators demonstrated their unwavering commitment and compassion as they embarked on a critical mission to protect the innocent," LAPD said in the statement. "Through their diligent efforts, vulnerable children were rescued from further abuse, and victims who had been silenced by the atrocious crimes of child sexual abuse found their voices restored."

The Internet Crimes Against Children Program was developed by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Their mission is to assist local, state and federal law enforcement with investigating internet-related crimes against youth. 

"Although Operation Online Guardian has concluded, the LA ICAC Task Force will remain vigilant and continue their mission to protect our children," LAPD said. "Despite the numerous resources that assist the LA ICAC Task Force in the battle against the sexual exploitation of children, there are victims who are unnoticed. Therefore, we are asking the community for their help in this fight."

People are urged to report any potential child sexual abuse activity via the "Take It Down" service.