The FBI New York Field Office participated in the arrests of seven subjects as part of the nationwide Operation Restore Justice.
This coordinated enforcement operation by all 55 FBI field offices was a sweeping five-day FBI initiative to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators across the country.
“The FBI is relentless in our commitment to combatting child exploitation and abuse,” stated Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “The FBI New York Field Office will never cease in its mission to apprehend anyone who preys on these vulnerable members of society.”
The cases were investigated by the FBI/NYPD Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, as well as the FBI Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, in partnership with the United States Attorneys’ Offices for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.
Significant investigative assistance was also provided by the FBI Boston Field Office, the FBI Detroit Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations, New York City Department of Probation, the Pennsylvania State Police, Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, the Town of Newburgh Police Department, Town of Wallkill Police Department, and the Warren County Sheriff’s Office. “These arrests would not have been possible without the assistance from our local and federal law enforcement partners,” said ADIC Raia.
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Last week alone, the FBI arrested 205 subjects and rescued 115 children across the country during the surge of resources deployed for Operation Restore Justice. The subjects arrested in this operation included those in positions of public trust—law enforcement, members of the military, and teachers. Others are your neighbors, proving criminal activity can be found even in the most familiar places. They’re accused of various crimes, including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking.
But our work didn’t just happen last week. Throughout the entire month of April, the FBI, along with our state and local law enforcement partners, additionally arrested more than 190 perpetrators on charges related to crimes against children. With nearly 400 arrests in one month, these actions are the direct result of the FBI’s continued efforts to track down and stop sexual predators before they can harm more victims.
This operation was the result of a dedicated and targeted effort, reflecting countless hours of work by hundreds of special agents, intel analysts, and other FBI personnel. It further emphasizes the FBI’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Bureau works relentlessly to investigate these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of prevention, community education, and the FBI’s never-ending pursuit of criminals who exploit our children.
The FBI proactively identifies individuals involved in child sexual exploitation and the production of child sexual abuse material through our far-reaching, nationwide network of personnel and law enforcement partners. The Violent Crimes Against Children (VCAC) program provides a rapid, proactive, and comprehensive capacity to counter all threats of abuse against children. This capacity leverages partnerships within the FBI’s 89 Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Forces (CEHTTFs) across the country.
Additionally, the FBI has intelligence analysts assigned to address the VCAC threat, both at Headquarters and the field. The FBI also leads a Violent Crimes Against Children International Task Force, which includes nearly 100 international task force officers representing over 60 countries to expand our ability to address the threat worldwide.
The FBI also partners with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org. In further partnership and collaboration with NCMEC, the FBI launched the Endangered Child Alert Program (ECAP) in 2004 to identify individuals involved in the sexual abuse of children and the production of child sexual abuse material. To date, ECAP has identified 36 individuals.
For more information about the crimes investigated by the FBI as well as the variety of resources we provide to protect and keep children safe, please visit:
- Violent Crimes Against Children — FBI
- Parents, Caregivers, Teachers — FBI
- Welcome to sos.fbi.gov — FBI Safe Online Surfing (SOS)
As always, the FBI urges the public to remain vigilant and report any suspect crime against a child to 911 and local law enforcement immediately, as well as the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), online at tips.fbi.gov, or by contacting your local FBI field office.
