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 Forces 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,
Lets 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 Sheriffs Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Marshals Service, is focused on intercepting anyone who attempts to exploit our societys 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 Sheriffs Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Marshals Service.
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