Hundreds of suspected online child predators are set to be publicly named Thursday, as regional law-enforcement leaders converge on Los Angeles Police Department headquarters to reveal the hard numbers from a sweeping crackdown known as “Operation Firewall.” Officials say the two-week push led to 341 arrests across Southern California and the rescue or identification of 40 children.
Press conference set for Thursday morning
According to a media advisory from the LAPD, the news conference is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Thursday in the Compstat Room at Los Angeles Police Headquarters, 100 West 1st Street. The advisory states that the Los Angeles Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force led a two-week operation that enlisted 112 affiliate agencies across five Southern California counties and produced 341 arrests along with 40 child rescues or identifications.
San Bernardino affiliate reports local haul
Some agencies are already previewing what those totals look like close to home. San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies said their slice of Operation Firewall resulted in 101 arrests and the rescue of 16 children, with alleged offenses that include possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material and arranging to meet a minor, as reported by CBS Los Angeles.
Who is expected to speak
Media advisories and local coverage list a long roster of planned speakers, reflecting how many agencies plugged into the task force. Expected on the podium are LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, Central District U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang of Homeland Security Investigations, and Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes. Representatives from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s and Probation departments, the USC campus police and chiefs from several city departments are also slated to attend, according to MyNewsLA.
Part of a wider regional push
Operation Firewall is one of several recent coordinated sweeps aimed at tracking digital breadcrumbs back to suspects and identifying children who may be in danger. Similar multiagency work in the Inland Empire, including the effort that saw 42 nabbed in countywide child-exploitation raid, has generated dozens of arrests in neighboring counties, Hoodline reported.
Prosecutions and next steps
Authorities stress that the mass of arrests is only the first phase. Prosecutors and federal partners will now pore over digital forensics to decide which cases move forward to formal charges. Local prosecutors have already pointed to a range of potential counts, from distributing child sexual abuse material to arranging contact with minors, and the LAPD advisory lists federal and county partners that typically help with evidence review and prosecution in complex online investigations, per CBS Los Angeles and the LAPD advisory.
The news conference begins at 9:30 a.m. Thursday. Officials are expected to take media questions and share internet safety resources for families. This story will be updated after full details from the briefing are released.
