Latest news with #DepartmentofHomelandSecurityInvestigations
Miami Herald
28-05-2025
- Miami Herald
Miami sex ad photos lead deputies to a missing Texas teen, MDSO says. 3 arrested
Three people are locked up in Miami in connection with a human trafficking investigation that deputies say involve a 15-year-old girl who was reported as a missing runaway weeks ago in Texas. On Friday, the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office Human Trafficking Squad, along with the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, found the teen after discovering a commercial sex advertisement featuring her photos in Miami, according to an arrest report. Undercover officers sent a message to the phone number listed in the advertisement. The girl responded and agreed to meet at a predetermined location, the report read. Surveillance teams observed her being dropped off by a white Hyundai Kona, leading officers to conduct a traffic stop. Inside the car were three people identified as Yasmin Cobb, 18, Josiah Sneed, 21 and Clifton Ray Foster Jr., 25, who all have Texas addresses listed on their arrest reports All three were detained and taken to the HSI office for questioning. The teen was reported missing May 1. Cobb, Foster and Sneed provided statements to investigators. None had legal custody or guardianship over the girl, authorities confirmed. The trio was arrested without incident and transported to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Court records show they have all since bonded out of jail. They are charged with custody interference, a third-degree felony under Florida law related to kidnapping and human trafficking.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Missing Texas teen found being sold for sex in Florida, deputies say
MIAMI (WFLA) — Three people were arrested after a missing Texas teenager was spotted in a commercial sex advertisement in Florida. The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office Human Trafficking Squad and Department of Homeland Security Investigations began searching for the 15-year-old runaway on May 1, according to a report from NBC affiliate WTVJ. Man survives alligator attack before being fatally shot by Polk County deputies: sheriff They spotted her in a commercial sex advertisement that included her photos. Undercover detectives arranged a meeting with the girl over the phone. She was dropped off at the meeting location in a Hyundai Kona with three adults inside. Josiah Sneed, 21, Yasmin Cobb, 18, and Clifton Ray Foster, Jr., 25, were arrested and charged with interfering with custody. There is no word yet on if they could face more significant charges. The trio was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Center jail without incident. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
1News
21-05-2025
- 1News
Man jailed for role on website showing computer-generated child abuse
A man who was a facilitator on a website which hosted "unspeakable" computer-generated child sexual abuse images has been jailed. Warning: Some may find details in this story upsetting. Helplines are provided with the article. Donald James Sarratt, 35, was sentenced to five-and-a-half years' imprisonment after being found guilty of possessing objectionable material relating to children and knowingly making and/or copying objectionable material relating to the sexual exploitation of children. A forensic examination of his electronic devices also uncovered child sexual abuse images of real children. He was identified in the wake of Operation Dark Orchid, which began in 2022 following a referral from the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and Department of Justice Child Exploitation Unit in the US. The website hosted over 85,000 computer generated images - 30,000 of those being realistic images depicting the graphic sexual abuse and torture of children as young as infants. 'In New Zealand, creating, possessing, or distributing material that promotes or tends to promote or support the sexual exploitation of children is punishable under the Films, Videos, Publications and Classifications Act," Detective Sergeant Daniel Wright, who led Operation Dark Orchid for the New Zealand Police Online Child Exploitation Across New Zealand (OCEANZ) team, said. 'This investigation, involving our law enforcement colleagues from the US, demonstrates our commitment to keeping our communities safe, and that we will use all resources available to us to hold to account those who prey on the vulnerability of children both in New Zealand and abroad." Homeland Security Dallas Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard said the "vast number" of images uncovered in the joint investigation was "unacceptable in any part of contemporary society". Many featured "disturbingly realistic computer-generated representations of unspeakable child sexual abuse". "This sentence for the defendant reinforces our dedication to protecting the innocence of our most vulnerable populations from such abhorrent child exploitation," he said. Any child sexual abuse material discovered online can be reported to: New Zealand Police: Call 105 or report online here Department of Internal Affairs Netsafe : Netsafe New Zealand's online safety organisation If there are immediate concerns for the safety of someone, call 111.
Scoop
20-05-2025
- Scoop
Police Acknowledge Sentencing Of Donald Sarratt In Child Sexual Abuse Material Case
Press Release – New Zealand Police The operation, dubbed Operation Dark Orchid, commenced in 2022 following a referral from the United States of America, Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Department of Justice Child Exploitation Unit. Police acknowledge the sentence handed down to Donald James Sarratt in the Wellington District Court today, for his role as a facilitator of a website which hosted computer-generated child sexual abuse material. Sarratt, 35, was sentenced to five-and-a-half years' imprisonment after being found guilty of possessing objectionable material relating to children and knowingly making and/or copying objectionable material relating to the sexual exploitation of children. A forensic examination of Sarratt's electronic devices also identified child sexual abuse material images of real children. The operation, dubbed Operation Dark Orchid, commenced in 2022 following a referral from the United States of America, Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Department of Justice Child Exploitation Unit. The investigation centred on a website with over 85,000 computer generated images – 30,000 of those being realistic images depicting the graphic sexual abuse and torture of children as young as infants. Teams of dedicated investigators worked tirelessly to identify those responsible for this offending, resulting in the dismantling of a long-standing website whose users who sought sexual gratification from the abuse of children. Detective Sergeant Daniel Wright led Operation Dark Orchid for the New Zealand Police Online Child Exploitation Across New Zealand (OCEANZ) team. He says Sarratt's sentencing is a testament to the thorough investigation conducted by New Zealand Police and US law enforcement. 'In New Zealand, creating, possessing, or distributing material that promotes or tends to promote or support the sexual exploitation of children is punishable under the Films, Videos, Publications and Classifications Act. 'This investigation, involving our law enforcement colleagues from the US, demonstrates our commitment to keeping our communities safe, and that we will use all resources available to us to hold to account those who prey on the vulnerability of children both in New Zealand and abroad,' Detective Sergeant Wright says. HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard says: 'HSI works seamlessly with our law enforcement partners across the globe to stop those who produce and distribute child sexual abuse materials. 'The vast number of images uncovered in this joint investigation – many featuring disturbingly realistic computer-generated representations of unspeakable child sexual abuse – is unacceptable in any part of contemporary society. 'This sentence for the defendant reinforces our dedication to protecting the innocence of our most vulnerable populations from such abhorrent child exploitation,' he says. If you, or someone you know, comes across child sexual abuse material online, we urge you to report it: New Zealand Police: Call 105 or report online here 105 Police Non-Emergency Online Reporting | New Zealand Police [1]. If you have immediate concerns for the safety of someone, please call 111.
Scoop
20-05-2025
- Scoop
Police Acknowledge Sentencing Of Donald Sarratt In Child Sexual Abuse Material Case
Police acknowledge the sentence handed down to Donald James Sarratt in the Wellington District Court today, for his role as a facilitator of a website which hosted computer-generated child sexual abuse material. Sarratt, 35, was sentenced to five-and-a-half years' imprisonment after being found guilty of possessing objectionable material relating to children and knowingly making and/or copying objectionable material relating to the sexual exploitation of children. A forensic examination of Sarratt's electronic devices also identified child sexual abuse material images of real children. The operation, dubbed Operation Dark Orchid, commenced in 2022 following a referral from the United States of America, Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Department of Justice Child Exploitation Unit. The investigation centred on a website with over 85,000 computer generated images - 30,000 of those being realistic images depicting the graphic sexual abuse and torture of children as young as infants. Teams of dedicated investigators worked tirelessly to identify those responsible for this offending, resulting in the dismantling of a long-standing website whose users who sought sexual gratification from the abuse of children. Detective Sergeant Daniel Wright led Operation Dark Orchid for the New Zealand Police Online Child Exploitation Across New Zealand (OCEANZ) team. He says Sarratt's sentencing is a testament to the thorough investigation conducted by New Zealand Police and US law enforcement. 'In New Zealand, creating, possessing, or distributing material that promotes or tends to promote or support the sexual exploitation of children is punishable under the Films, Videos, Publications and Classifications Act. 'This investigation, involving our law enforcement colleagues from the US, demonstrates our commitment to keeping our communities safe, and that we will use all resources available to us to hold to account those who prey on the vulnerability of children both in New Zealand and abroad,' Detective Sergeant Wright says. HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard says: 'HSI works seamlessly with our law enforcement partners across the globe to stop those who produce and distribute child sexual abuse materials. 'The vast number of images uncovered in this joint investigation - many featuring disturbingly realistic computer-generated representations of unspeakable child sexual abuse - is unacceptable in any part of contemporary society. 'This sentence for the defendant reinforces our dedication to protecting the innocence of our most vulnerable populations from such abhorrent child exploitation,' he says. If you, or someone you know, comes across child sexual abuse material online, we urge you to report it: New Zealand Police: Call 105 or report online here 105 Police Non-Emergency Online Reporting | New Zealand Police [1]. If you have immediate concerns for the safety of someone, please call 111. Department of Internal Affairs
