Authorities in one Virginia county have arrested thirty alleged pedophiles in just one month as part of” Operation COVID Crackdown,” an undercover investigation to crack down on predators preying on children who are taking virtual classes during the pandemic.
Major Ed O’Carroll, Bureau Commander of Major Crimes for the Fairfax County Police, praised the officers’ hard work in a statement, “Our detectives have remained vigilant, and they recognized the increased threat posed by online predators in recent weeks.”
“I commend their ability to adapt during this unprecedented public health pandemic and to do so in the interest of protecting our children and bringing justice to those who commit these repugnant crimes.”
Officers at Fairfax County Police discovered the pedophiles engaging in “explicit conversations” with who they thought were children, but were actually police officers posing as children. After a short time, the pedophiles began attempting to initiate sex with the presumed children.
All offenders were males and ranged in age from 20 to 74, with some having traveled from Maryland, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. They were apprehended at the locations that they had arranged to meet the supposed underage children for sex. All thirty offenders now face multiple counts of solicitation of a minor and attempted indecent liberties or soliciting a minor for prostitution, resulting in 68 felonies in total.
