Operation Spring Cleaning: 265 arrested, 27 children rescued in SoCal online child exploitation crackdown
LOS ANGELES - Over 260 people were arrested during a major operation targeting internet-related crimes against youth in Southern California.
What we know:
Dubbed "Operation Spring Cleaning," the sweep was carried out between April 6 and April 19 by the Los Angeles Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which is led by the Los Angeles Police Department. Over 100 law enforcement agencies across Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties were involved in the operation.
According to LAPD, the operation was aimed at identifying and arresting child predators who use the internet to exploit children. During the operation, police were able to safely rescue 27 kids who were "entangled in exploitative crimes."
Dig deeper:
Police said officers worked undercover on various social media platforms, then served warrants in all five counties targeting suspects accused of distributing child sexual abuse materials, online exploitation, and other crimes against children.
Of the 265 people arrested, many "held positions of trust within their communities," police said.
"Several of those taken into custody held roles that placed them in direct contact with children or carried significant community trust," according to police. "These arrests underscore the importance of vigilance and cross-agency collaboration in safeguarding children from individuals who use their trusted positions to exploit and harm the most vulnerable."
The suspects were held on a number of charges, including possession, production or distribution of child sexual abuse material, sending obscene matter to a child, lewd acts with a child, attempting to contact a minor for sex, human trafficking, indecent exposure, child annoying and failure to register as a convicted sex offender.
What you can do:
Police said the task force has also worked to provide internet safety training to about 1,000 parents and children, "empowering families with tools and knowledge to stay safe online."
Residents are urged to visit missingkids.org/netsmartz for tips on internet safety.