Decatur, GA - The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says 76 people were arrested and 13 children were rescued or identified as victims during a mutually coordinated operation between eight southeastern states, including South Carolina.
The joint, proactive operation, Operation Southern Impact II, was coordinated by nine Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces in those eight states and focused on persons who possess and distribute child pornography and those who are sexually exploiting children in other ways using technology and the internet. The planning for Operation Southern Impact II began approximately 4 months ago and led to 2 days of investigative actions including search warrant executions, undercover operations, and arrests in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. A total of 222 law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies participated in the operation.
Those arrested were 17 to 72 years old. Some of their occupations included postal worker, non-profit employee, small business owner, store clerk, mechanic, daycare administrator, pastor, construction worker and magician.
During the operation, 136 search warrants were executed and 100 knock and talks were conducted in those eight states. The operation used cybertips received by each ICAC Task Force from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), peer-to-peer investigations and on-line undercover investigations.
Some investigations also took law enforcement to Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. Of those arrested, 34 were in Georgia.