Police in Virginia arrested 30 pedophiles who were attempting to meet up with children for sex.
What We Know:
- The men involved ranged from ages 20 to 74 and were all arrested in a single county. “Sting Operation COVID Crackdown” was devised in order to catch sexual predators who were preying on children who were forced to conduct school work online and spend more time on the internet amid the coronavirus outbreak.
- In the sting, Fairfax County police officers claimed each offender had used online platforms to initiate explicit conversation in an attempt to solicit sex from a child. The officers posed as children and arranged to meet the target at an agreed location. Whenever they arrived, they found a team of detectives waiting for them instead of a child and were taken into custody.
- According to police, school closures and the implementation of distance learning have increased many childrens’ online presence and inadvertently placed them at higher risk of exploitation.
- “Our detectives have remained vigilant and they recognized the increased threat posed by online predators in recent weeks,” said Major Ed O’Carroll, Bureau Commander with Major Crimes.
- “I commend their ability to adapt during this unprecedented public health pandemic and to do so in the interest of protecting our children and bringing justice to those who commit these repugnant crimes.”
He advised parents to monitor their children’s online activities and use security settings to prevent the use of age-inappropriate sites/platforms.
