PHOENIX (AZFamily) — State leaders are coming together on Wednesday to provide an update on a month-long law enforcement operation to catch online child predators.
Operation Safe Online Summer, or SOS, was led by the Phoenix Police Department and the Arizona Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and continues a larger nationwide operation headed by the Department of Justice.
“Our department is committed to the safety and well-being of our children and will take appropriate actions to stop predators in our communities,” said Phoenix Police Assistant Chief Ed DeCastro.
The operation identified and located child predators and those involved in the spread of child exploitation material through various investigations.
Authorities conducted over 100 investigations and arrested over 70 offenders in Arizona and the surrounding states.
“Operation Safe Online Summer shows what’s possible when law enforcement agencies come together with one goal—protecting our kids,” said Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes.
The police departments involved in the operation were Phoenix, Gilbert, Goodyear, Scottsdale, Surprise, Sahuarita, Tucson, Tempe, Avondale, Flagstaff, Glendale, Peoria, Chandler, and Prescott Valley. The Arizona Department of Public Safety also participated along with multiple county agencies such as the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, Pima County Sheriff’s Office, Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, and Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office.
These agencies also partnered with the FBI’s Phoenix field office, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.
Below are the results from the operation:
- 132 Investigations initiated
- 139 NCMEC CyberTips cleared (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children)
- 243 Search warrants authored
- 72 total arrests, including: 9 hands-on offenders, 12 registered sex offenders, Identification of 25 victims of ongoing exploitation, 14 newly identified child victims
- Examination of over 1,000 devices
- Over 60 terabytes of data
- 11 community education events held, reaching over 350 parents and students
“These arrests reflect our commitment to protecting children and making our communities safer. Bringing offenders to justice takes dedication, precision, and teamwork. Our detectives work diligently to track down those wishing to harm the most vulnerable residents in our community, and ensure those offenders are held accountable,” said Chandler Assistant Chief of Police Chris Perez.
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