Attorney General Raúl Labrador announced the arrest of three men in Pocatello, Idaho, as part of an undercover operation targeting child enticement. The operation was conducted by the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and the Pocatello Police Department, with assistance from the FBI. The individuals arrested were Abu Harris, 24, Tyler Earle, 32, and Clint Lusk, 33. They have been charged with enticing a child using the internet.
The arrests were made during a coordinated effort to identify offenders who communicate with children through text messages, social media, and chat platforms for sexual purposes. The one-night operation aimed to expose adults attempting to sexually abuse children and distribute child sexual abuse material. While three arrests were made, additional investigations are ongoing.
"Each person arrested in this operation was a predator in our community looking to sexually abuse and exploit a young child," stated Attorney General Labrador. "The ICAC Task Force and our growing network of ICAC partners and agencies have a singular focus – to remove these child predators from our streets. We will not stop pursuing these criminals."
The operation involved collaboration among various law enforcement agencies across Idaho, including the Idaho Office of the Attorney General, Pocatello Police Department, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bannock County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho State Police, Idaho Falls Police Department, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, Rupert Police Department, Boise Police Department, Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, Nampa Police Department, Coeur D’Alene Police Department, and Post Falls Police Department.
"This is a great example of teamwork and what can be accomplished when we are all mission aligned," said Pocatello Police Chief Roger Schei. "If you commit acts like this I promise we will find you and put you in jail. We will do everything we can to protect our most valuable asset – our children."
ICAC Task Force Commander Nick Edwards expressed his commitment to conducting more operations throughout Idaho: "I intend to facilitate many more of these proactive operations across Idaho to target those in our community preying on our children."
The Idaho Office of the Attorney General extended gratitude to all participants and acknowledged the Pocatello Police Department for hosting the operation.
Individuals with information about child exploitation are urged to contact local authorities or reach out to resources such as the Idaho Attorney General's ICAC Unit at 208-947-8700 or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.
For more information about the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force visit icactaskforce.org or ICACIdaho.org.