Hundreds Arrested In Child Porn Raid Includes From 20 Northern California
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - A child pornography investigation led by federal immigration agents led to the arrests of more than 200 suspects, authorities announced Thursday.
Over the course of five weeks, special agents for Immigration and Customs Enforcement helped make two arrests in San Francisco, one at San Francisco International Airport, three in Sacramento and 14 in Fresno, said ICE spokeswoman Amber Cargil.
KCBS' Holly Quan Reports:
Hundreds Arrested In Kiddie Porn Raids Include From 20 Northern California
Cargil said the raids in 19 states, dubbed "Operation Sunflower", also led to the rescue of 120 children who were being sexually exploited, some as prostitutes and others being tricked into sharing provocative photographs online.
"There really is no child that is immune from potentially being victimized," she said, adding that most of the victims were girls and several reside outside the United States.
"Believe it or not, five of the children were even under the age of 3 years old. But we had them across all age groups," Cargil said.
The investigation ran from Nov. 1 to Dec. 7.
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