Latest news with #OperationSpringCleaning
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Operation Spring Cleaning: 265 arrested, 27 children rescued in SoCal online child exploitation crackdown
The Brief A massive multi-agency crackdown resulted in the arrest of 265 people across Southern California for internet-related crimes against kids. During the operation, police said 27 kids who were "entangled in exploitative crimes" were rescued. Law enforcement conducted "Operation Spring Cleaning" between April 6 and April 19. It was led by the LAPD. 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 for tips on internet safety.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
265 suspected child predators arrested in Southern California crackdown
Authorities arrested 265 suspects during a large-scale crackdown on child exploitation crimes across Southern California. The effort, dubbed 'Operation Spring Cleaning,' was led by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Regional ICAC Task Force, which is comprised of five counties — Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, and Ventura. The operation aims to identify and arrest child predators who use the internet to exploit children. Officers also work on rescuing the young victims targeted by the suspects. The operation took place from April 6 to 19, and was carried out in two phases. The first phase involved undercover investigations across various social media platforms to track down and identify suspected child predators. The second phase involved serving residential and arrest warrants across the five counties, targeting suspects engaged in the distribution of child sexual abuse material, online exploitation, and other crimes against children. During the nearly two-week operation, 265 suspects were arrested for child exploitation-related crimes. Many of them 'held positions of trust within their communities,' and some were either employed or placed in a role that gave them direct contact with children, LAPD said. Authorities also rescued 27 children in connection with the massive crackdown. Some of the crimes for which the 265 suspects were arrested include: Possession, distribution or production of child sexual abuse material Lewd acts with a child Meeting a minor for lewd purposes Contact or attempt to contact a minor for sex Lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under 14 years of age Human Trafficking Oral copulation with a minor Indecent exposure Child annoying Sending obscene matter to a child for sexual gratification Failure to register as a convicted sex offender Various violations of parole/probation conditions by convicted sex offenders '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,' LAPD said. 'The united efforts of the LA ICAC Task force and the community, in the fight against the online sexual exploitation of children, will surely assist in keeping the child predators at bay and allow our children to explore the internet without fear.' Authorities did not release the identities of the suspects. The public is encouraged to report potential child sexual abuse activity and have the material removed by visiting 'By reporting the potential child sexual abuse activity, you are giving a potential victim a voice when they are often silenced due to circumstance,' LAPD said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
21-05-2025
- CBS News
Southern California law enforcement agencies arrest more than 250 alleged child predators in joint operation
As part of the ongoing Operation Spring Cleaning, one of the largest law enforcement task forces in the country announced hundreds of arrests of alleged child predators throughout Southern California on Wednesday. The arrests were announced by the Los Angeles Regional ICAC Task Force, which is led by the L.A. Police Department and works with law enforcement agencies across L.A., Orange, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. The task force led Operation Spring Cleaning between April 6 and 19. During a news conference Wednesday, the force announced that during that brief period, 265 alleged child predators were arrested. Authorities said many of those suspects held "positions of trust within their communities" and had roles that placed them in contact with children. "The goal was to identify and arrest predators who were using the internet to sexually exploit children and to rescue young victims from abuse," said LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell. The operation, McDonnell detailed, was separated into two phases. The first included law enforcement officers working undercover on social media platforms, where they observed suspects attempting to lure vulnerable children. In the second phase, officers served warrants after tracking down suspects. In addition to the arrests, 27 children were rescued during the operation. Arrests were made on suspicion of the following crimes across Southern California, according to the LAPD: - Possession of child sexual abuse material - Distribution of child sexual abuse material - Production of child sexual abuse material - Sending obscene matter to a child for sexual gratification - Lewd acts with a child, meeting a minor for lewd purposes - Contact or attempt to contact a minor for sex - Lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under 14 years of age - Human Trafficking - Oral copulation with a minor - Indecent exposure - Child annoying, - Failure to register as a convicted sex offender - And various violations of parole/probation conditions by convicted sex offenders. About 1,000 parents and children were given internet safety training as part of the operation. "These aren't just numbers," McDonnell said. "These are lives saved, futures restored and predators removed from our neighborhoods." On Wednesday, L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said any person who commits an illegal sex act against a child is "stealing their innocence and likely causing a lifetime of harm." "I actually think the name 'Operation Spring Cleaning' is too nice," Hochman said. "I would actually call this 'Operation Sick and Depraved Cleaning.' Because that's exactly what the people who are engaged in these internet crimes against children are doing. Hochman vowed that the suspects accused of these crimes within his jurisdiction will be prosecuted to the "full extent of the law."
CBS News
29-04-2025
- CBS News
"Operation Spring Cleaning" results in 73 child sex offender arrests in San Bernardino County
Nearly six dozen people were arrested during a weeks-long operation targeting child sex offenders in San Bernardino County, according to law enforcement officials. The arrests were made as part of "Operation Spring Cleaning," which is described as focusing on "identifying and arresting predators who use the internet to facilitate the sexual abuse of children, to rescue children from predators and to ensure registered sex offenders were compliant with their registration requirements," according to a press release from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. During the operation, which spanned over two weeks from April 5 to April 19, investigators served more than 480 compliance checks on registered sex offenders that resulted in arrest for failure to register as a sex offender, the release said. On top of that, over 30 warrants resulted in arrests for possession of child pornography, distribution of child pornography and felon in possession of a firearm. "Detectives conducted multiple Undercover (UC) Chat Operations in which law enforcement officers created an maintained online personas on popular social media sites and waited for suspects to engage in criminal, lewd, sexual behavior with the underage UC personas, which resulted in multiple arrests," the release also noted. In all, 73 people were arrested in San Bernardino County. "The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department rescued multiple children from ongoing abuse," the release said. As their investigations continue, SBSD asks that anyone who knows more contact them at (909) 387-8313.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Yahoo
Dozens arrested for alleged child sexual abuse in Inland Empire
More than 70 alleged perpetrators of child sexual abuse were arrested or are subject to arrest warrants after the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department's Operation Spring Cleaning. The operation, conducted between April 5 and 19, was 'focused on identifying and arresting predators who use the internet to facilitate the sexual abuse of children, to rescue children from predators and to ensure registered sex offenders were compliant with their registration requirements,' the SBSD said in a news release. Through nearly 500 compliance checks, searches for child pornography and other contraband, and undercover operations, 73 people were arrested or had an arrest warrant issued for them. The warrants include charges of: Failure to register as a sex offender Rape Lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under 14 years old Contacting a minor for lewd purpose Arranging to meet a minor for the purpose of committing a sex crime Arranging to meet a minor for purposes of committing a sex crime and showing up at the meeting place and time Possession of child pornography Distributing child pornography Felon in possession of a firearm Additionally, the Sheriff's Department 'rescued multiple children from ongoing abuse,' officials said. Anyone with information about out-of-compliance sex offenders in San Bernardino County is asked to call 909-387-8313. To report information anonymously, call WeTip at 1-888-78-CRIME or visit Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
