Several coordinated mass arrests of human traffickers were successful in apprehending suspects and rescuing victims. Alongside those operations, several were arrested for child pornography, one being a US Navy tech.
Below is a list of the cases reported.
Trafficking Victim Rescued, 31 Arrests in Human Trafficking Sting
Patterson detective Cooper again spearheads the Operation Reclaim and Rebuild effort in this area.
Detective Cooper and other officers working at the Patterson substation again organized Operation Reclaim and Rebuild in Stanislaus County, which took place on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, and netted 30 arrests and four firearms in two neighboring cities.
Over 100 Arrested in Sting Targeting ‘Repulsive’ Human Trafficking in Florida
Police in Florida have arrested over 100 people in an undercover human trafficking operation.
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office ran Operation Trade Secrets 2 over a 5-month period, and made 104 arrests, according to a press conference.
Of those individuals, 76 were men purchasing sex, and 28 were women working in the sex trade. Between January and June of this year, the department ran the first part of Operation Trade Secrets, also aimed at cracking down on human trafficking.
Statewide Crackdown on Human Trafficking Includes Arrests on Central Coast
Nearly 40 people were arrested in the tri-counties area during a recent operation aimed at cracking down on human trafficking.
The sixth annual Operation Reclaim and Rebuild enforcement operation was executed during January, which is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Law enforcement officials say the operation was focused on rescuing victims of human trafficking and aiding them in rebuilding their lives.
518 Arrested in California Operation Targeting Human Traffickers
An operation to fight human trafficking in California resulted in the arrests of over 500 people last week.
Agencies from Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties participated in the effort, formally known as “Operation Reclaim and Rebuild,” which was conducted between Jan. 26 and Feb. 1.
Human Trafficking Sweep Nets 31 Local Arrests
A statewide effort to interrupt the sex trafficking rings operating in California led to the arrest of hundreds of individuals, including 31 people in Stanislaus County.
Operation Reclaim and Rebuild was carried out over Jan. 31 to Feb. 2 as part of the kickoff for human trafficking awareness month in February.
Craigslist Ad Led Agents to Navy Tech’s Stash of Child Porn: Feds
A US Navy information systems technician who posted an explicit Craigslist ad looking for sex with a “young” girl has been busted for child porn, according to a report.
Petty Officer 1st Class Robert Houston Birchett, of Portsmouth, Virginia, appeared in court Thursday after being charged earlier in January with one count of possession of child pornography, the Virginian-Pilot reports.
Police Officer Arrested, Facing Child Pornography Charges
A San Antonio police officer has been charged with possession and distribution of obscene images depicting sexual abuse of children.
Officer Sebastian Torres, who served two years as a patrolman for the San Antonio Police Department, will face up to twenty years in prison if convicted.
In a statement, Chief McMannus said the charges against Torres are “deeply disturbing.”
Lodi Man, 72, Arrested on Child Pornography Charge
A tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children led police to a home in south Lodi where child pornography was discovered and an arrest was made, police reported.
On Tuesday, detectives served a search warrant at the home in the 1600 block of South Church Street where they allegedly found hundreds of images and videos of child pornography on a computer belonging to 72-year-old Gregory Blair Goodman of Lodi, according to police.
San Antonio Man Arrested After Cable Repairman Sees Child Porn On His Computer
A San Antonio man was arrested Thursday after a cable repairman reported finding child pornography on his computer.
Multiple outlets are reporting that Paul Zappe III was taken into custody as the result an investigation that began last month. An arrest affidavit obtained by KSAT alleges that an AT&T employee who was at Zappe’s home to troubleshoot a cable issue saw pictures of nude children, some depicted in sex acts, on the suspect’s computer screen.
Rumors of mass arrests in a grander scale continue to emerge. We’ll be keeping an eye on official news outlets to see if arrests are ramping up.
By Justin Deschamps, Guest writer
