UPDATED WITH BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Sixteen people have been arrested for crimes against children. Tallahassee police said these crimes are on the rise. ABC 27 is finding out how law enforcement officers are working to protect children and capture suspected child predators.
Tuesday, multiple law enforcement agencies announced 16 people have been arrested for exploiting children online. Some suspects allegedly attempted to meet up with minors.
These agencies included the Tallahassee Police Department, Leon County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Marshals Service.
"Let me be clear, our agency will not tolerate this kind of predatory behavior, and we will continue to use every resource available to identify and arrest those responsible," said Chief Lawrence Revell of the Tallahassee Police Department.
Officers went undercover, posing as minors to seek out predators.
"Our kids are being targeted specifically for sexual activities, illegal, illicit sex activities, and we must do what we're doing here today, gathering together to fight this menace across our communities," said Sheriff Walt McNeil of the Leon County Sheriff's Office.
Chief Revell said crimes against children are going up.
"The more prevalent social media becomes, and all the new platforms, it's going to continue to increase because there's more platforms that they can use to get to our children," said Revell.
Yet, Revell said he believes awareness of these crimes is increasing too — and must continue.
Studies show 95% of abuse is preventable through education and awareness, that’s according to the anti-child sexual abuse nonprofit, Lauren’s Kids.
ABC 27 spoke with Kristel Avalis, a therapist who works with Oasis Center for Women and Girls. Avalis said shame is a large reason why victims don’t come forward, which is why conversation is so important.
"I think the shame and guilt is a huge part, because again, it's like, who's going to believe this? Who's going to, or is it my fault? You know, because I pressed the link, or because I thought this person was a nice person," said Avalis.
Mikayla Simeral, Director of Training Advancement with Shared Hope International, a non-profit working to prevent sex trafficking, said there are signs parents and kids can look out for. These include someone trying to move you to another app or asking personal questions. In addition, Simerall said it’s also important for children to ask friends questions and talk with adults.
"How do we notice when we're being scammed? How do we notice when someone is exploiting us? What's the difference between a safe person online versus someone who's trying to potentially recruit or groom me to be exploited?" said Simerall.
All agencies stressed the importance of collaboration to prevent these crimes. The chief said the preparation for this operation lasted months and was carried out over the course of a few days. He stressed that law enforcement is staying on social media sites to crack down on these crimes.
Original:
A joint operation between local and state agencies has led to the arrest of 16 people for online child predation. In a press release, the Tallahassee Police Department says the three-day sting called "Operation Rabbit Hole" happened in mid-April and was part of the national Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force’s Operation Safe Online Summer (SOS) campaign, which coordinates efforts across 61 task forces and numerous affiliates nationwide.
The report states “Operation Rabbit Hole” focused on targeting individuals who used online platforms to exploit children and arrange to meet them. Undercover officers would pose as minors and set up designated locations to catch offenders attempting to meet children for sexual purposes.
Homeland Security Investigations Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nichoals Ingegno says,
“Let’s be clear, predators who use the internet to prey on children cannot hide behind their screen names – we will find and arrest anyone who seeks to harm our children. HSI Tallahassee, alongside our law enforcement partners with the Tallahassee Police Department, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Marshals Service, is focused on intercepting anyone who attempts to exploit our society’s most vulnerable people.”
To learn more about how to protect your children from online predators, visit DHS Know2Protect.
The operation was a joint partnership between the Tallahassee Police Department, Leon County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Marshals Service.
Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website.
Stay in touch with us anywhere, anytime.
