A multi-agency task force announced at a news conference Thursday the arrests of 341 alleged internet child predators and the identification and rescue of 40 children across Southern California.
Between April 19 and May 3, the Los Angeles Police Department-led component of the Internet Crimes Against Children task force orchestrated the effort known as Operation Firewall. The program was designed to identify and apprehend predators who use the internet to facilitate the sexual exploitation and abuse of children, while also identifying and rescuing those children from their abusers.
During the operation the task force conducted undercover investigations across various social media platforms and executed multiple residential search warrants and arrest warrants of child sexual exploitation suspects throughout five counties, according to LAPD.
The coordinated enforcement effort resulted in a total of 341 suspects arrested and the identification and rescue of 40 children, police officials said.
The various crimes the suspects were arrested for during the operation include production, possession or distribution of child sexual abuse material, lewd acts with a child, contact or attempting to contact a child for lewd purposes, human trafficking, failure to register as a convicted sex offender and various violations of parole and probation conditions by convicted sex offenders, according to LAPD.
