Those arrested face charges including production, possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material, lewd acts with a child, attempting to contact minors for lewd purposes, human trafficking, failure to register as a sex offender and parole.
Authorities arrested 341 people and rescued 40 children during a two-week crackdown on internet crimes against children across five Southern California counties, officials announced Thursday.
The operation, known as Operation Firewall, was conducted by the Los Angeles Regional Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force from April 19 to May 3.
Investigators focused on individuals who used the internet to sexually exploit children. The multi-agency effort included proactive undercover operations on social media platforms and the execution of search and arrest warrants.
Those arrested face charges including production, possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material, lewd acts with a child, attempting to contact minors for lewd purposes, human trafficking, failure to register as a sex offender and parole or probation violations.
The Los Angeles Regional ICAC Task Force, led by the Los Angeles Police Department, covers Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties and includes 112 law enforcement partner agencies.
The task force is part of a national network of 61 ICAC task forces established by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat online child sexual exploitation.
Officials said the operation has concluded but investigations into online crimes against children remain ongoing.
