June 8th, 2012
10:36 AM ET

18 rescued in child pornography raids, feds say

Eighteen victims of child pornography were rescued during a nationwide sweep by federal law enforcement agencies, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced Friday.

The sweep, dubbed Operation Orion, resulted in the arrests of 190 individuals, most of which were in the U.S. but included arrests in Argentina, the Philippines, Spain and the United Kingdom, ICE said in a press release. The operation took place from May 1 to May 31.

"Let this operation be a warning to anyone who would think they can use the Internet to exploit children: we are out there looking for you, we will find you, and you will be prosecuted," ICE Director John Morton said in a statement.

Morton said as children begin summer vacations, parents should pay extra attention to how much time they spend on the Internet.

"Many of the child exploitation cases under Operation Orion began with a child or teen chatting with someone he or she met online," Morton said in the statement.

Related stories:

Interpol targets 55 suspects using social network sites for child sex abuse images

Former top FBI agent charged with child porn distribution

2011: 72 charged in online global child porn ring

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Filed under: Crime
soundoff (254 Responses)
  1. Ordinary Average American

    Glad to see the feds are doing SOMETHING constructive!

    June 8, 2012 at 11:35 am | Report abuse |
    • Emigdio

      I know, they should have been doing this instead of trying to pass SOPA and CISPA.

      June 8, 2012 at 11:39 am | Report abuse |
    • denise

      A simple "Good Job" would be sufficient-Why the need for sarcasm? If that were your child you'd be a little more grateful

      June 8, 2012 at 11:49 am | Report abuse |
  2. Dan Maresca

    This is good news finally, but we need to do MORE to prevent these crimes from happening, and the parents of children need to wake up and monitor EVERYTHING from cell phones to computer use, especially Facebook. Sadly, in this day in age, you can't trust ANYONE anymore when it comes to exploitation.

    June 8, 2012 at 11:38 am | Report abuse |
    • realtalker

      This day in age? It's always been that way. It just went under the radar until the internet came about. Now the behavior is just easier to detect.

      June 8, 2012 at 11:44 am | Report abuse |
    • skeffs

      That is so right. My son uses XBOX Live and people try to get his info all the time but I monitor it and took a class on online safety which I taught him. These sick perverts are everywhere. It's so hard to raise a child to not make them paranoid but you can't lose sight for even a moment these days.

      June 8, 2012 at 11:46 am | Report abuse |
    • 7thDwarf

      Can't trust "anyone?" Wow, it would suck to live in your paranoid world.

      June 8, 2012 at 11:58 am | Report abuse |
    • toni

      This stuff always went on. Now with the internet everyone knows about it. When I was a child, I and all the little ones around me were molested constantly for a number of years. We got STDs too, but the doctor never questioned it and the family treated you as a freak and hoped it would go away. No counseling, no investigation, no arrest. The man still lives and I am sure is still molesting. I called the cops a few years back and they said they could do nothing about what happened 50 years ago. No Proof was thier reason. Now in this day and age we are ok with talking about it and that is what it will take to slow this crap down. We will never be able to stop it.

      June 8, 2012 at 12:07 pm | Report abuse |
  3. Bruce

    Its good to see that our Government is doing something about how children are being exploited, continue the good work.

    June 8, 2012 at 11:45 am | Report abuse |
  4. realtalker

    bigfire – The world is for all of us. I do think we put way too much focus on children but to say the world isn't for them......I just hope your a troll and don't really believe what you're saying.

    June 8, 2012 at 11:45 am | Report abuse |
  5. warren

    we live a sick and broken world.

    June 8, 2012 at 11:47 am | Report abuse |
  6. Miley

    Yes, children are replacable because you can always have more what about the love you gave it though? thats not replacable. And when you get attached to it it still will never be replacable because it is a part of you. and you for say that children are replacable and blah blah blah you are a cold hearted no nvm your heartless thats all i have to say

    June 8, 2012 at 11:48 am | Report abuse |
  7. Bill

    These social networking sites are an accident begging to happen. Not just on-line predators but all sorts of info exchanging that could be a disaster later on for all concerned. Just chat on the phone...it's much safer. Better yet, hang out with friends at home or other safe places and get out and get active! It's summer!

    June 8, 2012 at 11:48 am | Report abuse |
  8. warren

    we live ina sick and broken world.

    June 8, 2012 at 11:49 am | Report abuse |
  9. Jo

    There have been quite a few large busts lately. This is wonderful. It will never end, we have to be realistic. But at least we can keep it down. Personally, I the message might be better sent if they just took these people out and shot them.

    June 8, 2012 at 11:49 am | Report abuse |
    • toni

      ditto!

      June 8, 2012 at 12:00 pm | Report abuse |
    • toni

      Jo–Sorry my frist ditto looked as if it was agreeing with the ped that posted after you. My ditto was for you. Just shoot the sickos!

      June 8, 2012 at 12:01 pm | Report abuse |
  10. Ben23

    Since gay marriage is gradually being accepted it is about time we stop discrimination against pedophiles. Pedophilia equality now.

    June 8, 2012 at 11:49 am | Report abuse |
    • clarinet

      Yeah, love is love, right?

      June 8, 2012 at 11:59 am | Report abuse |
    • VinceProfessor

      Exactly Ben. Pedophiles are people too!

      June 8, 2012 at 11:59 am | Report abuse |
    • toni

      Gays are not peds, dummy!

      June 8, 2012 at 12:09 pm | Report abuse |
    • cedar rapids

      thanks Ben for the waste of time your mindless statement was.

      June 8, 2012 at 1:43 pm | Report abuse |
    • DD

      What a cheap crappy point to score on the back of gay people we all know and consider friends. Idiot. You like using poeple to your own ends too, huh? Shows.

      June 8, 2012 at 4:48 pm | Report abuse |
    • pm ohio

      Maybe becasue LBGT people are in consensual relationships and not coercing children into being vulnerable. Ignoarant people thing tha tbeing gay equals pedophilia. I'm sure there are sicko gays who want to prey on children too, but the vast majority of pedophiles are married hetero white men.

      June 11, 2012 at 2:12 pm | Report abuse |
  11. Mel

    Prosecute!!! I say execute those responsible!

    June 8, 2012 at 11:50 am | Report abuse |
  12. Josh

    How do the feds find these people?

    With all the hackers who spoof email addresses and IP addresses, I can see that some pedophile randomly making up some IP address, only to have that address actually in use by some innocent person.

    June 8, 2012 at 11:52 am | Report abuse |
  13. denise

    bigfire needs to go back to his country-Real Americans regard our children's lives more important than our own

    June 8, 2012 at 11:53 am | Report abuse |
  14. kyle

    exCONsrvt, the ones you should be blaming for child abuse are the predators that perpetrate the crimes. Unless the parents knowingly allow it to happen, they are not responsible for the actions of perverts. Parents can't always watch their kids 24/7.

    June 8, 2012 at 11:54 am | Report abuse |
  15. clarinet

    In an economy where both parents are out working kids are even more at risk. Fix the economy so one parent can choose to be there for the kids. As for the perverts – just execute them.

    June 8, 2012 at 11:55 am | Report abuse |
    • DD

      "Just" ... LOL. Ever consider moving to Saudi Arabia? You'd fit in.

      June 8, 2012 at 4:49 pm | Report abuse |
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