A multi-agency investigation [1] led by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has resulted [2] in the arrest of more than 200 individuals in connection with child exploitation crimes across Southern California.
The operation, known as “Operation Online Guardian,” was conducted between August 12 and August 23, 2024, targeting internet predators who sought to exploit and abuse children.
The operation was carried out by the Los Angeles Regional Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, which coordinated efforts across five counties: Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Ventura, and Santa Barbara.
More than 100 law enforcement agencies participated in the two-phase operation aimed at identifying and arresting online child predators.
The first phase of the operation involved proactive undercover investigations on various social media platforms.
Officers posed as minors and engaged with suspects online, gathering evidence of attempts to exploit children.
The second phase consisted of executing multiple residential search warrants and arrest warrants focused on suspects involved in child sexual exploitation.
The result of this intensive investigation was the arrest of 205 individuals. Charges brought against those arrested included:
- Sodomy of a child under 10 years of age
- Continuous sexual abuse of a child
- Continuous sexual abuse of a child
- Lewd acts with a child
- Meeting a minor for lewd purposes/sex
- Contact/attempt contact with minor for sex
- Sending obscene matter to a child for sex
- Penetration with a foreign object by force or fear
- Sodomy
- Possession of child sexual abuse material
- Distribution of child sexual abuse material
- Child annoying
- Failure to register as a convicted sex offender
- Violation of conditions of parole
- Violation of conditions of probation
LAPD Chief of Detectives Alan Hamilton spoke at a press conference on Monday, emphasizing the importance of the operation in protecting children from exploitation. “Together we continue to stand strong in the face of predators who seek to sexually exploit children, working tirelessly to create a safer environment for all,” Hamilton said.
BREAKING: “Operation Online Guardian” resulted in the arrest of 205 pedophiles, a significant crackdown designed to safeguard children. This initiative brought together a range of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. pic.twitter.com/kyBriOYe4x [3]
— The General (@GeneralMCNews) September 9, 2024 [4]
The LAPD also stressed the need for parents and caregivers to be vigilant about their children’s internet usage.
LAPD Capt. Jay Mastick highlighted the role families can play in preventing these crimes, stating, “Parents and caregivers can help protect their children by educating themselves and their children on the dangers of the internet and by monitoring their children’s online activities.”
He added that reporting potential child sexual abuse could give victims a voice and prevent further harm.
The LA ICAC Task Force involved personnel from various units, including the LAPD’s Gang and Narcotics Division, Vice Units, and the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. The task force remains dedicated to investigating and prosecuting those who exploit children.
Hamilton explained that specific arrest numbers for each of the five counties involved in the operation were not immediately available but emphasized the scope of the effort.
He noted that although Operation Online Guardian has concluded, the task force would continue its work to combat child exploitation.
The LAPD also urged the public to be aware of online dangers and to utilize resources for internet safety education.
More information can be found on the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s website, www.Missingkids.org/NetSmartz, which offers educational tips for families on how to protect children from online predators.
Additionally, the community is encouraged to report any potential child sexual abuse activity through services like “Take it Down,” hosted at www.takeitdown.ncmec.org, which helps remove harmful online content.
Operation Online Guardian represents a continued effort by law enforcement to address the growing issue of online child exploitation, and the arrests made during the operation highlight the ongoing dangers that exist in the digital world.
The LAPD and its partner agencies remain committed to their mission of protecting children and bringing offenders to justice.
Read the full press release [5] from the Los Angeles Police Department below:
The Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Program was developed by the United States Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. The mission of the ICAC Task Force Program is to assist local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies with investigating Internet related crimes against our youth. Currently the ICAC Task Force Program consists of 61 coordinated task forces and over 5,400 federal, state, and local law enforcement members.
The Los Angeles Regional ICAC Task Force (LA ICAC), led by the Los Angeles Police
Department covers five southern California counties (Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino,
Santa Barbara, and Ventura). The LA ICAC Task Force is currently comprised of 102 affiliate
agencies.
The LAPD ICAC unit, as the lead agency, is the primary clearing house for all CyberTips,
associated to the five southern California counties, received from the National Center for
Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The CyberTips include reports from various
Internet Service Providers and citizens reporting incidents that involve the possession,
distribution and manufacturing of child sexual abuse material, and the online sexual exploitation of children.
During the weeks of August 12, 2024 to August 23, 2024, the LA ICAC Task Force orchestrated the Operation Online Guardian, a multi-agency operation. The goal of operation was to identify and arrest predators who are using the internet to facilitate the sexual abuse of children and to rescue children from said predators. The operation was executed in two phases. The first phase included proactive undercover investigations on a variety of Social Media platforms. The second phase included the service of multiple residential search warrants throughout the five counties, in addition to arrest warrants, which focused on child predators.
During the operation, our dedicated investigators demonstrated their unwavering commitment and compassion as they embarked on a critical mission to protect the innocent. Through their diligent efforts, vulnerable children were rescued from further abuse, and victims who had been silenced by the atrocious crimes of child sexual abuse found their voices restored. Justice was served during the Operation Online Guardian as numerous suspects, who sought to prey on our young through social media and chat applications, were apprehended and brought to face the consequences of their actions.
These significant achievements are a testament to the profound impact that this task force has made in safeguarding our communities and upholding the values we hold dear. Together, we continue to stand strong in the face of predators who seek to sexually exploit children, working tirelessly to create safer communities for all.
As a result of the collaborative efforts employed by the LA ICAC Task Force, specially trained digital forensic dogs, the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, and Los Angeles Police Department’s Gang and Narcotics Division, and various LAPD Vice Units, the following statistics were achieved during the operational period.
Although Operation Online Guardian has concluded, the LA ICAC Task Force will remain vigilant and continue their mission to protect our children. Despite the numerous resources that assist the LA ICAC Task Force in the battle against the sexual exploitation of children, there are victims who are unnoticed. Therefore, we are asking the community for their help in this fight.
The internet has become an integral part of our lives and parents/caregivers should be aware of the potential dangers that exist on the internet. Parents and caregivers can help protect their children by educating themselves and their children on the dangers of the internet, monitoring you children’s internet usage, and having an open dialogue with your children to navigate around child predators.
The community is encouraged to visit: www.Missingkids.org/NetSmartz [6] for educational internet safety tips and activities. The community may also report potential child sexual abuse activity and have the harmful matter removed via the service “Take it Down” hosted on the website www.takeitdown.ncmec.org [7]. By reporting the potential child sexual abuse activity, you are giving a potential victim a voice when they are often silenced due to circumstance. “If you See Something, Say Something”.
The united efforts of the LA ICAC Task force and the community, in the fight against the sexual exploitation of children, will surely assist in keeping the child predators at bay and allow our children to explore the internet without fear.