Hundreds Of Sexual Predators Arrested, Including Teachers, Clergy
Sexual predators arrested in a recent massive sweep include suspects from the US and eight other countries. Some of those arrested in the busts were teachers, coaches, and clergy members.
Arrests numbered to 244 in the US and 11 made in other countries, which included Brazil, Canada, Israel, and South Korea. It was the culmination in a month-long sting conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers under the name Operation iGuardian, reports Yahoo! News.
ICE agents also enlisted the assistance of local law enforcement in their non-US busts.
The arrests focused on people participating in internet child pornography rings, seeking sexual predators involved in what authorities call “sextortion.”
A typical sextortion scenario involves an adult blackmailing a child into sending them pornographic images. At the threat of having the pictures exposed to friends and family, the children are convinced they have no option but to keep sending new pictures.
This practice, ICE officials say, has been on the rise in recent years. The agency’s director, John Morton, said that during the operation they had also identified 61 children who had been victims of sextortion practices.
Those arrested included not just those exploiting the children but those believed to be involved in sharing the images online in an internet child pornography ring.
ICE Director Morton also stated that of those arrested, 17 were people in positions of trust. Nine of these were teachers, three members of local clergy. A California professional inline skater was also charged, reports CBS LA.
While the goal of iGuardian was to have sexual predators arrested, it was also to identify and rescue the victims. There are still dozens of minors exploited by the suspects now in custody that federal agents will be working to find.
ICE authorities say more sexual predator arrests will be made in the near future, as they crack down on a booming child pornography trade online.
[Image via ShutterStock]
