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34 charged for soliciting sex with minors, CSAM

August 12, 2020
With the covid-19 pandemic keeping many schools shut, children are spending a lot more time online to learn
With the covid-19 pandemic keeping many schools shut, children are spending a lot more time online to learn | © Pavalache Stelian – Dreamstime.com

By a Biometrica staffer

Operation Covid Chatdown led to the arrest of 34 men in Fresno, California, for soliciting sexual acts from individuals they believed were 12- or 13-year-old children. In reality, the individuals were undercover law enforcement operatives and part of an operation conducted by several law enforcement bodies, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) said in a press release.

The operation is a startling look at the number of people actively grooming children online to meet them for sexual encounters in just the Fresno region alone. During the undercover operation, conducted from July 20 to Aug. 2, 2020, more than 190 online contacts continued to chat even after they knew they were talking to whom they believed was a minor.

There were a significant number of instances in which perpetrators also sent sexually explicit images. When the subjects asked the undercover operatives to engage in sexual acts, they were provided an address in Fresno, where they traveled and were subsequently arrested. No minors were involved in the operation.

These abhorrent attempts by predators to exploit innocent children for immoral and illegal sexual gratification have no place in American society. Homeland Security Investigations will relentlessly pursue anyone involved in criminal behavior against children.

HSI San Francisco (NorCal) Special Agent in Charge, Tatum King

These 34 men traveled by foot, skateboard, bike, or vehicle to meet 12- and 13-year-old boys and girls, who turned out to be law enforcement operatives with badges, guns and handcuffs. A number of the arrested individuals admitted to victimizing real children during previous attempts. One man admitted he was HIV positive and that he planned to have sex with a 13-year-old child.

The suspects face a range of criminal charges including state charges for sending harmful material to seduce a minor, arranging meeting with a minor for lewd purpose, and possession, transmission and transportation of child pornography.

Graphic created by Biometrica

Operation Covid Chatdown was conducted by the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. The Central California ICAC Task Force, which was formed in 2007, comprises of 64 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies spread throughout nine counties in the Central Valley. It is dedicated to protecting children online and investigating crimes committed against children, which are facilitated by the Internet and computer usage.

HSI agents and criminal analysts’ investigative work, together with HSI’s partners, bought these subjects to justice. These arrests were made possible through a joint effort with HSI’s Law Enforcement partners in the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC), the Police Departments of Clovis, Fresno, Kingsburg, Parlier, San Luis Obispo, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, and the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office.