Federal authorities say they have saved more than 100 children in an operation that resulted in the capture of more than 200 sex offenders.
The Department of Justice announced Wednesday that the FBI arrested 205 child sex offenders throughout the country in Operation Restore Justice, part of a nationwide crackdown on child sex trafficking and abuse that the agency says “resulted in the rescue of 115 children.”
“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,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi as she announced the operation, which took place over the course of five days. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”
Among the more than 200 suspects arrested in the operation are an illegal alien from Mexico, a former Washington D.C. police officer, and a Minnesota State Trooper and Army reservist. The suspects have been charged with a range of crimes, including child sex trafficking, possessing, producing, or distributing child sexual abuse material, and online enticement of minors.
Bondi also warned parents that they must keep an eye on their children’s activity online to ensure that they are not being targeted by predators. “Parents, you have to know this is so serious, your child has no right to privacy on the internet, none,” Bondi noted. “You have to monitor what your kids are doing, whether they’re playing games on the internet, on social media, any other websites that children and teenagers frequent, an online predator can find them.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said that the success of the operation, which involved agents from 55 field offices, sends a clear message to 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,” Patel said.
“Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”
