OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – FBI Omaha said Wednesday that it had assisted in the arrest of three people as part of a nationwide five-day agency sweep to identify and arrest child sex predators.
The Omaha field office joined the other 54 others across the country to execute Operation Restore Justice. In addition to the arrests, authorities served four federal search warrants locally and identified 15 victims from about 1,000 submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
“The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown‚” according to Wednesday’s news release from the Department of Justice.
Can you help?
If you suspect a crime is being perpetrated against a child, call 911 or local law enforcement immediately. You can also report it to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or the Omaha field office at 402-493-8688. You can also submit tips online via to Omaha Crime Stoppers, the P3 Tips app or at tips.fbi.gov.
According to the FBI Omaha release, the federal agency had been working the operation with state and local law enforcement throughout April, which is also National Child Abuse Prevention Month, arresting more than 190 people facing charges related to crimes against children.
“With nearly 400 arrests in one month, these actions are the direct result of the FBI’s continued efforts to track down and stop sexual predators before they can harm more victims,” the release states.
Kody Dickes, 34, of Ashland was arrested April 29 by to face charges for distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography, according to an FBI Omaha release.
Authorities in Iowa also idenitifed Anthony Charles VanMeter, 55, of Davenport, Iowa, who was indicted on charges of receipt and possession of child pornography. He is also currently serving an eight-year term of supervised release after he was convicted in 2016 of possessing child pornography.
FBI Omaha also assisted in the arrest of a suspect identified by the FBI Minneapolis field office, a spokeswoman said in an email. On Friday, Minnesota State Trooper Jeremy Francis Plonski was charged with producing child pornography, according to an earlier release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota.
“The harm child sexual predators inflict is vast. Locking them up is one of the most important actions the FBI and our law enforcement partners can take to protect children,” said FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in the DOJ release that she has directed federal prosecutors “not to negotiate.”
“The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” she said.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the operation sent “a clear message: There is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”
“Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” he said in the release.
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Correction: Due to a source error, a previous version of this report incorrectly indicated the location of the Operation Restore Justice cases involving the FBI Omaha field office.
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