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:

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2011: 72 charged in online global child porn ring

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Filed under: Crime
soundoff (254 Responses)
  1. Dan

    Someone needs to put a stop to religions.

    June 8, 2012 at 2:36 pm | Report abuse |
    • Alicia

      OK dan... youre appointed. You probably have nothing else to do anyway.

      June 8, 2012 at 2:45 pm | Report abuse |
    • ted

      Dan, you will soon find out the truth and may good show you and the rest of you non believers mercy.........................

      June 8, 2012 at 3:21 pm | Report abuse |
  2. @FajitaBob 2:58ET

    School districts don't do what they do in the name of God, and certainly don't claim that anything confessed in school is above the law. (priests are not required to divulge what they find-out at confessional, even if confessional is of man raypeing boy) And really, most organizations try to handle these matters internally rather than calling 9/11. ALL religious organizations chose to handle boy raype internally...calling themselves together to discuss it rather than calling the law to report it.
    Bannish all organized religions. If there is a true one, it will stand.

    June 8, 2012 at 2:36 pm | Report abuse |
    • Leif

      Fascism is not the answer.

      June 8, 2012 at 3:22 pm | Report abuse |
    • addison

      STEPH.. really? I am not a believer in God either, however it is clear that Jesus lived and walked this earth, so did Mohammed. The only question here is was Jesus an incredible man or was he the son of God? I think he was an incredible man. If you do not believe he lived, then do you belive in president Washington? Umm Napolean? Or how about the black plague?

      June 8, 2012 at 3:31 pm | Report abuse |
  3. CE

    Why does he sound almost exactly like that movie. Im going to look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you

    June 8, 2012 at 2:40 pm | Report abuse |
  4. grantevans

    You dummies that say thank god,really thank god for putting those unfortunate kids in this predicament in the first place,what a bunch of idiots how about thanking ICE give credit do where it belongs!

    June 8, 2012 at 2:49 pm | Report abuse |
    • Snazzy

      With all due respect, people can thank who ever the hell they want, what you think be damned.

      June 8, 2012 at 2:55 pm | Report abuse |
    • steph

      exactly. God doesn't exist

      June 8, 2012 at 3:02 pm | Report abuse |
    • Snazzy

      @Steph....making claims you cannot prove is a sure trait of a feeble mind.

      June 8, 2012 at 3:04 pm | Report abuse |
    • steph

      proof? you question proof? considering the really is no proof God or Jesus ever existed outside of some book the preaches judgement is ok as long as it's in the name of God. Lets see.. God is so great and powerful but he can't even reveal where the body of his own "son" is located. Science is proof.

      June 8, 2012 at 3:09 pm | Report abuse |
    • Snazzy

      I never questioned anything and science has proven nothing regarding the existence of God. Lol....what don't a person have to prove something don't exist, but you gotta prove it does. Narrow thinking in my opinion. You have proven this.....based on your comment, I have my reservations about your rational and I apologize for wasting both our time. Peace to you.

      June 8, 2012 at 3:13 pm | Report abuse |
    • Snazzy

      @ Shannnon.....did I say I could? Absolutely not. Work on that reading comprehension.

      June 8, 2012 at 3:16 pm | Report abuse |
    • Paul

      God did not do it, people did. Pepolp who care only for their wants and needs even at the expense of children.

      June 8, 2012 at 3:21 pm | Report abuse |
  5. ljenks

    all this talk about shooting and hanging child molesters should apply only if caught in the act, those arested should have a trial and then given the lethal injection.

    June 8, 2012 at 2:49 pm | Report abuse |
    • Shannon

      @Snazzy......Um.....What? So you can prove god exists? I would say you just proved the location of the "feeble" mind.

      June 8, 2012 at 3:14 pm | Report abuse |
  6. Brickell Princess

    If they ever target North Carolina they would have to arrest 70% of the state's population.

    June 8, 2012 at 2:50 pm | Report abuse |
  7. Mert

    Finally, some tax dollars well spent. Keep up the good work ICE.

    June 8, 2012 at 2:59 pm | Report abuse |
  8. nena lopez

    what about us as parents??? we need to pay attention to what our kids are wearing when they go places... is sad to see pre teen girls at parks, malls etc, wearing clothes that are way to provocative,,,,, lets all be responsible and talk to our babies about what it means to grow in todays society...

    June 8, 2012 at 3:07 pm | Report abuse |
  9. odst57

    Anyone who does that to child deserves death with no trial .Those kids will be messed up for a long time .what kind of sick creeps are they

    June 8, 2012 at 3:18 pm | Report abuse |
    • pm ohio

      All of you supposed Christioans who want to kill, amaze me. You aren't a Christian if you believe in killing someone as a form of "Justice".

      June 11, 2012 at 1:48 pm | Report abuse |
  10. Nicky

    This why death penalty or automatic life without parole should be applied to anyone who exploits a child.

    June 8, 2012 at 3:19 pm | Report abuse |
  11. jj

    It may be a "drop in the bucket", but at least it's something.

    June 8, 2012 at 3:21 pm | Report abuse |
  12. odst57

    CHILDREN are the most important due to the fact is that they're the future and those parents should monitor them more closely or get life in prison , and i havea question are people are replacable if you answer yes then your not human especially children if you say they are then what kind of person are other than a monster ?

    June 8, 2012 at 3:29 pm | Report abuse |
  13. Thingscanbbetter

    190 in the U S?? Sickos, shoot all 190 of them

    June 8, 2012 at 3:30 pm | Report abuse |
  14. Dan

    187 were priests.

    June 8, 2012 at 3:39 pm | Report abuse |
    • Lise

      Keep thinking that and you will miss all the other predators, like teachers, cops, bus drivers, coaches, and anyone else. Of course the hole priest thing is awful but when it comes to my kids I treat everyone like a predator.

      June 8, 2012 at 3:54 pm | Report abuse |
    • James

      no, 187 were aethiests...

      June 8, 2012 at 4:09 pm | Report abuse |
  15. jasmine

    @ Steph.............just a thought on science here.................it has been scientifically proven what really happened @ sodom and gomorrah(sp?) there is evidence what is written is what actually took place.

    June 8, 2012 at 3:40 pm | Report abuse |
    • A

      Source?

      June 8, 2012 at 3:56 pm | Report abuse |
    • big o belly

      Post the scientific proof you speak of and let's see if its from a true scientific source.

      June 8, 2012 at 4:15 pm | Report abuse |
    • JD

      Aahaaaha ... right. You need to revisit your take on "science". Hell, most interpretations of why the written account took place aren't even right. Stop taking a book of holy poetry and trying to smack people with it literally. It's cheap.

      June 8, 2012 at 4:42 pm | Report abuse |
    • miss manager

      Actually scientists now say that it was a meteor or asteroid that hit the Earth. Not some all fearing non existent being.

      June 8, 2012 at 5:20 pm | Report abuse |
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