238 suspects nabbed across Southern California in child predator sweep

A two-month sweep of suspected child predators wanted for everything from negotiating sex tourism on the Inteet to possessing and selling poography netted 238 arrests across Southe Califoia, including a monk, authorities aounced Monday.

The sweep was part of a national effort called “Operation Broken Heart,” launched by the Inteet Crimes Against Children Task Force or ICAC, a multi-agency effort. Operation Broken Heart was first conducted in 2014.

The latest operation, which was conducted in April and May, included agents with federal Homeland Security Investigations, and child exploitation units from Los Angeles, Long Beach, Orange County, and Fontana.

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Those arrested included a 26-year-old monk from Riverside, and an Australian man who came to Los Angeles specifically to buy a 6-year-old boy who was being sold on the Inteet, officials said during a news conference in Exposition Park. Nationwide, 61 such ICAC task forces conducted similar operations.

The 238 suspects arrested in the region represented a slight decrease from the 275 who were taken into custody in 2014, when Operation Broken Heart first launched. But the numbers show the problem isn’t going away, and those arrested this time were higher profile, said John Reynolds, special agent in charge in Los Angeles for Homeland Security Investigations.

The perpetrators come from all walks of life, Reynolds added, and the common denominator is the Inteet.

“Those figures make clear the incidents of child sexual exploitation have reached staggering proportions,” Reynolds said. “What’s more, the stereotypes about the kinds of people who commit child sexual exploitation crime simply (do) not dovetail with reality. Perpetrators in these cases include entertainers, community leaders, white collar professionals, and members of the clergy.”

As an example, Reynolds noted that a monk from Laos living at a Riverside monastery was charged earlier this month with one count each of possession of child poography and distribution of child poography.

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Also earlier this month, “Glee” actor Mark Salling pleaded not guilty to two counts of receiving and possessing child poography. His arrest was made last year at his home in Sunland by officers assigned to the L.A. Regional Inteet Crimes Against Children Task force.

During the recent sweep, police reviewed almost 900 open investigations from across the Southe Califoia region and served nearly 250 search warrants.

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In some cases, a mobile lab maintained by the LAPD’s ICAC unit would arrive on scene so that officers could examine computer hard-drives on the spot to find out if suspects were in possession of child poography.

The mobile lab, which was on display during the news conference, is supplied with specialized equipment so that hard drives can be examined without destroying the original content, said LAPD Officer Brian Aett, who is part of the unit.

When suspects watch police remove hard drives, they will often start talking, Aett explained.

“We have a 98 percent confession rate,” Aett said. “We’re usually able to make the arrest on scene.”

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LAPD Deputy Chief Matt Blake said the aouncement of the arrests was made because June is Inteet Safety Month. During the summer, he noted, children spend more time on the Inteet, where they can become victims of sexual predators. For law enforcement to prevail, parents need to have honest talks with children about cyberspace, he emphasized.

“This is a time when we need to be ever more vigilant for our children’s safety,” Blake said.