Thirty-five people from across southeast Louisiana have been arrested in a sweeping operation targeting child predators who used social media and gaming platforms to try to continue preying on children. The Louisiana Attorney General’s Office announced the arrests at a news conference in Kenner on Thursday.
The initiative, called Operation Safe Networks, aimed to find sex offenders who were using social media despite a Louisiana law that prohibits such use, according to a news release issued by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office and reported by WDSU. Multiple agencies were involved in carrying out the operation, though a detailed breakdown of each agency’s role has not been released.
Suspects Used Everything From Facebook to Gaming Consoles
According to the station’s report, the social media platforms used by those arrested included Facebook, X, Instagram, PlayStation, Xbox, Telegram, Discord, YouTube, Snapchat, WhatsApp, TikTok, Threads, Fambase, LinkedIn, Whatnot and Zangi. The sprawling list of 16 platforms underscores how far child predators have spread beyond traditional social media apps, reaching into gaming consoles and newer, lesser-known services alike.
Per the same account, those arrested came from across southeast Louisiana, though individual identities and charges were not detailed in the announcement. The scope of the sweep suggests investigators cast a wide net across the region rather than focusing on a single parish or city.
Louisiana Law Already Bars Registered Offenders From These Apps
Louisiana law separately addresses this exact kind of conduct. A state statute describes the intentional use of a social networking website by someone required to register as a sex offender who has been convicted of specified offenses, including indecent behavior with juveniles, possession of child sexual abuse materials, and computer-aided solicitation of a minor, according to the Louisiana Legislature. The statutory language provided does not establish the law’s full scope or precisely how it applies to the individuals arrested in this operation.
The Louisiana Attorney General’s Office has pursued similar efforts before. In a separate 2025 initiative known as Operation Restore Justice, four individuals from across the state were charged between April 29 and May 2 of that year as part of a nationwide push to identify, track and arrest child predators, according to the FBI’s New Orleans field office. That effort was considerably smaller in scale compared to this week’s 35 arrests.
Public Asked to Stay Alert Online
The attorney general’s office has previously turned to Facebook to seek public help in related cyber crime cases, posting appeals for information from its official page, which has amassed nearly 117,000 followers. That history of public outreach suggests investigators may continue to lean on tips and community vigilance as they build on the momentum of Operation Safe Networks.
No further details on individual charges, case outcomes or the specific roles played by each participating agency have been released at this time.
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