A massive child exploitation operation in North Texas successfully rescued 109 children and arrested 244 individuals in what officials call a successful round-up of offenders.
The Dallas FBI office and some of the 70 law enforcement agencies that were involved in the operation announced the results of Operation Soteria Shield. Authorities also revealed the faces of the hundreds of suspects arrested in relation to sex trafficking or pornography.
Officials Announce Results of Child Exploitation Operation
The update comes at the end of a month-long investigation headed by federal and local enforcement of a crime that officials believe is a year-round problem. U.S. Attorney Eastern District of Texas, Jay Combs, said that the number of offenders who were arrested and the children that were rescued are "stunning."
Operation Soteria Shield reportedly started in April and officials said that the majority of the children who were recognized or rescued were previously unidentified. Plano Police Department Assistant Chief Dan Curtis said these children were never reported missing and their abuse was not known to authorities, according to CBS News.
Read more: 80-Year-Old Man Given Maximum Sentence of 60 Years for Child Exploitation of a 7-Year-Old
On top of leading to arrests and rescues, the operation also led officials to be able to seize terabytes of child abuse sex material through a collaborative effort that began a decade ago. It now includes 70 Texas law enforcement agencies.
Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis added that the operation started with a small team that had a bold idea and has since grown into "something very powerful." In the majority of the cases that were investigated, sex offenders never met their victims in person and only used technology to coerce them into sending explicit images and videos.
Rescuing Vulnerable Children
Dallas Police Chief Daniel C. Comeaux said Operation Soteria Shield was a massive team effort and reminded the public of what can be accomplished with proper cooperation. He expressed his pride in the fact that the Dallas Police Department was the lead agency for the North Texas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, NBCDFW reported.
FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock said they all had a common goal, which was to "shine a light into the darkness of child abuse and rescue children from abuse and exploitation."
The agencies that were part of the operation expressed their thanks to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) for continuous support. Analysts with the latter were the ones responsible for providing vital intelligence and case coordination, as per the United States Attorney's Office.
