SAN ANTONIO — A growing partnership between the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Secret Service has led to the arrest of more than a dozen people accused of trying to exploit children online, officials announced Wednesday.
Sheriff Javier Salazar and U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Brian Gibson highlighted the joint effort, saying the collaboration has helped investigators identify and arrest 14 suspects in online predator investigations since January.
The sheriff’s office has also made roughly 25 arrests in separate operations targeting prostitution and solicitation-related offenses during the same period.
Salazar said many people are surprised to learn the Secret Service plays a role in child exploitation investigations.
Over my career, I’ve worked protective details with the Secret Service, counterfeiting cases and even narcotics investigations,” Salazar said. “I never realized until fairly recently how effective they are in these online predator cases involving the solicitation of minors.
Gibson said the partnership allows agencies to combine resources, technology and expertise to better identify suspects and protect children.
These arrests are a clear example of what we can accomplish when we work together,” Gibson said. “We’re targeting individuals who are attempting to solicit minors online and removing them from the community.
Officials said many of the cases involve suspects who believed they were communicating with children online but were actually interacting with undercover investigators.
Salazar stressed that the work is not about creating headlines but preventing real victims.
“The victims in these cases were fictional children created by undercover officers,” he said. “But it could just as easily have been a real child on the other end of that conversation.”
One of the more troubling trends, Salazar said, is that some of those arrested hold positions that naturally earn the trust of parents and children.
Among those arrested this year are teachers, school security personnel and other people who regularly interact with young people, according to the sheriff.
“These are people that families would have every reason to trust,” Salazar said. “But sometimes they’re living a secret life online.”
Officials emphasized that most child predators are not strangers lurking in parking lots. Instead, they often seek opportunities to build trust with children through social media, gaming platforms and other online spaces.
As students spend more time online during summer break, investigators are urging parents to have regular conversations with their children about internet safety and to closely monitor online activity.
If your child has a cellphone in their pocket, they have access to the world,” Salazar said. “Unfortunately, the world also has access to them.
Gibson said protecting children from online exploitation will remain a priority for both agencies moving forward.
“Our partnership and commitment to safeguarding our community continue every day,” Gibson said. “Together, through awareness, communication and cooperation, we can help keep children safe both online and offline.”
Online Safety Tips for Parents
With children spending more time online during summer break, law enforcement officials are urging parents to take steps to protect them from online predators and exploitation.
- Talk regularly with your children about online safety and who they interact with on social media, gaming platforms and messaging apps.
- Remind children never to share personal information, including their address, school, phone number or location, with people they meet online.
- Know which apps, games and websites your children are using and who they are communicating with.
- Use parental controls and privacy settings on devices, apps and social media accounts.
- Keep computers, tablets and gaming systems in common areas of the home whenever possible.
- Teach children that people online may not be who they claim to be.
- Encourage children to tell a trusted adult if someone online makes them uncomfortable, asks for photos or requests private conversations.
- Monitor friend requests and online contacts, especially from people your child does not know in real life.
- Be cautious of anyone who tries to move conversations from public platforms to private messaging apps.
- Watch for warning signs such as secretive behavior, hiding screens, receiving gifts from strangers or spending excessive time communicating with unknown people online.
- Set clear family rules for internet use and regularly review them with your children.
- Report suspicious online behavior to local law enforcement or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
