LOS ANGELES—A five-county enforcement effort targeting internet crimes against children netted 141 arrests, authorities said Sept. 14.
“Operation Protect the Innocent” was conducted Sept. 6-12 by personnel from the Los Angeles Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which includes more than five dozen law enforcement agencies, according to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).
The task force, led by the LAPD, covers Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties, and the recent enforcement effort coincided with children’s return to school in many jurisdictions, according to the LAPD.
The task force receives cyber tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that involve the possession, distribution, and manufacturing of child sexual abuse material, and the sexual exploitation of children through the internet….