238 Suspects Nabbed across Southern California in Child Predator Sweep
By Susan Abram
A two-month sweep of suspected child predators wanted for everything from negotiating sex tourism on the internet to possessing and selling pornography netted 238?arrests across Southern California, including a Buddhist monk, authorities announced Monday. The sweep was part of a national effort called Operation Broken Heart, launched by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, a multi-agency effort. Operation Broken Heart was first conducted in 2014. The latest operation, which was conducted in April and May, included agents with federal Homeland Security Investigations and child exploitation units from Los?Angeles, Long?Beach, Orange?County and Fontana. Those arrested included a 26-year-old Buddhist monk from Riverside and an Australian man who came to Los?Angeles specifically to buy a 6-year-old boy who was being sold on the internet, officials said during a news conference in Exposition Park. Nationwide, 61?task forces conducted similar operations between April and May. A total of 1,368 arrests were made across the country as part of Operation Broken Heart, officials said. The 238?suspects arrested in the region represented a slight decrease from the 275 who were taken into custody in 2014, when Operation Broken Heart first launched. But the numbers show the problem isn’t going away, and those arrested this time were higher profile, said John Reynolds, special agent in charge in Los?Angeles for Homeland Security Investigations. The perpetrators come from all walks of life, Reynolds added, and the common denominator is the internet. “Those figures make clear the incidents of child sexual exploitation have reached staggering proportions,” Reynolds said. “What’s more, the stereotypes about the kinds of people who commit child sexual exploitation crime simply (do) not dovetail with reality. Perpetrators in these cases include entertainers, community leaders, white collar professionals, and members of the clergy.” As an example, Reynolds noted that a monk from Laos living at a Riverside monastery was charged earlier this month with one count each of possession of child pornography and distribution of child pornography. Also earlier this month, “Glee” actor Mark Salling pleaded not guilty to two counts of receiving and possessing child pornography. His arrest was made last year at his home in Sunland by officers assigned to the L.A. Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task force. During the recent sweep, police reviewed almost 900?open investigations from across the Southern?California region and served nearly 250?search warrants. In some cases, a mobile lab maintained by the LAPD’s Internet Crimes Against Children unit would arrive on scene so that officers could examine computer hard drives on the spot to find out if suspects were in possession of child pornography. The mobile lab, which was on display during the news conference, is supplied with specialized equipment so that hard drives can be examined without destroying the original content, said LAPD Officer Brian Arnett, who is part of the unit. When suspects watch police remove hard drives, they will often start talking, Arnett explained. “We have a 98?percent confession rate,” Arnett said. “We’re usually able to make the arrest on scene.” LAPD Deputy Chief Matt Blake said the announcement of the arrests was made because June is Internet Safety Month. During the summer, he noted, children spend more time on the internet, where they can become victims of sexual predators. For law enforcement to prevail, parents need to have honest talks with children about cyberspace, he emphasized. “This is a time when we need to be ever more vigilant for our children’s safety,” Blake said.
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