SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, Calif. (VVNG.com) — A major two-week operation led by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department resulted in dozens of arrests and warrants targeting child sexual abuse predators, officials announced.
Operation Spring Cleaning took place between April 5 and April 19, 2025, and focused on identifying predators who use the internet to exploit children, rescuing children from abusive situations, and ensuring registered sex offenders were complying with legal requirements.
According to a news release from the department’s Specialized Investigations Division – Crimes Against Children Detail, detectives conducted over 480 compliance checks on registered sex offenders during the operation. These checks led to multiple arrests for failing to register as required under California Penal Code 290.
In addition to compliance checks, investigators executed more than 30 residential search warrants across San Bernardino County. These searches resulted in arrests for possession of child pornography (PC 311.11), distribution of child pornography (PC 311.1(a)), and felon in possession of a firearm (PC 29800(a)(1)).
Undercover detectives also posed as minors on social media platforms, engaging with suspects who initiated criminal and lewd conversations. These proactive chat operations led to several arrests for contacting a minor for lewd purposes (PC 288.3(a)) and arranging to meet a minor for sex-related offenses (PC 288.4(a)(1)).
The department confirmed that multiple children were rescued from ongoing abuse during the course of the investigation.
At the conclusion of Operation Spring Cleaning, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department announced that 73 suspects were either arrested or had arrest warrants issued for a variety of child-related sexual offenses, including:
- Failure to Register as a Sex Offender (PC 290)
- Rape (PC 261)
- Lewd and Lascivious Acts with a Minor Under 14 (PC 288(a))
- Contacting a Minor for Lewd Purpose (PC 288.3(a))
- Arranging to Meet a Minor for the Purpose of Committing a Sex Crime (PC 288.4(a)(1))
- Meeting a Minor for a Sex Crime (PC 288.4(b)(1))
- Possession of Child Pornography (PC 311.11(a))
- Distribution of Child Pornography (PC 311.1(a))
- Felon in Possession of a Firearm (PC 29800(a)(1))
Anyone with information regarding out-of-compliance sexual offenders or details related to Operation Spring Cleaning is urged to contact the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department at (909) 387-8313. Anonymous tips can be submitted through We-Tip by calling 1-888-78-CRIME or visiting www.wetip.com.
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