Four suspected child sex predators arrested in Alaska following nationwide operation
The United States Department of Justice says almost 1,700 suspected online child sex offenders were arrested during a two-month, nationwide operation conducted by Internet Crimes Against Children task forces.
“The sexual abuse of children is repugnant, and it victimizes the most innocent and vulnerable of all,” Attorney General William P. Barr said.
The 61 ICAC task forces, located in all 50 states and comprised of more than 4,500 federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies, led the coordinated operation known as “Broken Heart” during the months of April and May 2019.
In Alaska, During Operation Broken Heart there were 46 total investigations involving 41 search warrants and four arrests. Additionally, there were 24 community outreach presentations attended by a total of 694 Alaskans.
The operation targeted suspects who:
- produce, distribute, receive and possess child pornography
- engage in online enticement of children for sexual purposes
- engage in the sex trafficking of children
- travel across state lines or to foreign countries and sexually abuse children
In all, the task forces identified 308 offenders who either produced child pornography or committed child sexual abuse, and 357 children who suffered recent, ongoing or historical sexual abuse or were exploited in the production of child pornography.
During the course of the operation, the task forces investigated more than 18,500 complaints of technology-facilitated crimes targeting children and delivered more than 2,150 presentations on internet safety to over 201,000 youth and adults.
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