The Department of Justice has released the outcomes of Operation Restore Justice, a comprehensive enforcement initiative aimed at identifying and apprehending child sex predators. This operation led to the rescue of 115 children and the arrest of 205 offenders nationwide over five days. The effort involved all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi emphasized the department's dedication to protecting victims, particularly children, stating, "The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us." She expressed gratitude towards the FBI and local partners for their work in this operation.
FBI Director Kash Patel reinforced this commitment by saying, "Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us."
U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III highlighted his office's role in accepting cases for prosecution following arrests made during the operation. He remarked on witnessing firsthand the efforts of agents and task force officers.
Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albany Field Office, praised state and local law enforcement partners for their contributions to taking eight predators off the streets within five days.
The individuals arrested face charges related to various crimes such as production, distribution, possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), online enticement, transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. Notable cases include arrests in Minneapolis involving a state trooper accused of producing CSAM while in uniform; Norfolk where an illegal alien is charged with transporting a minor across state lines; Washington D.C., where a former police officer was arrested for alleged trafficking; among others.
In New York's Northern District alone, several defendants have been charged with offenses ranging from solicitation of explicit content from minors via social media to planning sexual abuse under false pretenses.
Each defendant faces significant prison time if convicted along with additional penalties such as supervised release post-imprisonment and mandatory registration as a sex offender upon release.
Operation Restore Justice aligns with Project Safe Childhood—a national initiative launched by DOJ in May 2006—to combat child sexual exploitation through collaboration between federal agencies like NCMEC (National Center for Missing & Exploited Children).