The FBI Dallas branch and the North Texas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force announced Friday that they rescued nearly 100 children from child exploitation in Operation Soteria Shield.
The operation was conducted in March and April this year, targeting offenders who allegedly exploited children online, as well as identifying unknown victims and connecting affected families and children with various social resources.
“Together, we were able to make a significant impact in the ongoing battle against predators who exploit children in our communities,” FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock said.
“This would not have been successful without the resolve of each participating agency,” Rothrock added. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to prioritize the safety of the most vulnerable members of our communities.”
The operation was the result of a coordinated law enforcement effort among 91 agencies, with almost 200 personnel involved, according to the FBI. Those agencies included the FBI Dallas division, Dallas Police Department, Plano Police Department, and Garland Police Department.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Jeff Rich, a detective in the criminal divisions of the Plano Police Department, for comment.
“The operation was geared towards the identification and rescue of children,” he said. “The focus that we have is to locate children who are in harm’s way and then protect those children as best possible.”
Rich said the operation was successful thanks to the collaboration of multiple agencies, adding that it’s important for good communication to be established between parents and children.
“It’s better that they can communicate their fears and not be ridiculed,” he said.
Rich said it is important to remember that the exploitation of children is not simply a localized problem.
“Some people say, ‘Oh look at Texas, they’ve really got a problem,’ and that’s not the case at all. This is a global problem,” he said. “This is something that’s happening all across the country and all across the world to children everywhere.”
Rich said education and enforcement go hand in hand against child exploitation.
“This is something that is happening in your communities wherever you sit, and it needs to be addressed,” he said, telling the Washington Examiner that taking aggressive enforcement actions against child exploitation offenders helps protect children.
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“It is unfortunate that there are that many arrests and that there are that many children that need rescuing, but we’re gonna continue this fight throughout the year and every day,” he said. “We’re gonna continue this struggle and this fight and make sure the kids are safe.”
Law enforcement agencies arrested 276 offenders as part of the joint operation and encouraged anyone with information about child exploitation to contact local law enforcement or the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. Tips can be submitted online at tips.fbi.gov, while reports involving the online sexual exploitation of children can be submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at cybertipline.org.