Dozens of arrests, 18 people rescued - FBI's Op. Kick Boxer leads to arrest of distributors, makers of child sex abuse materials
FBI's Op. Kick Boxer leads to arrest of distributors, makers of child sex abuse materials
MILWAUKEE
-- An FBI operation dubbed Operation Kick Boxer has led investigators
to identify and arrest distributors and manufacturers of child sexual
abuse materials -- and to recover child victims of sexual abuse.
Officials
indicated in a news release on Monday, July 6 that the operation has
resulted in dozens of arrests across the country, as well as in other
countries including Canada, United Kingdom, Romania, and France. The
operation has also located and recovered 18 children from being sexually
exploited.
Operation Kick Boxer relied on more than 63 law
enforcement agencies working on FBI Child Exploitation and Human
Trafficking Task Forces in each of the Bureau’s 56 field offices and via
the FBI's Legal Attaché Offices throughout the world. The sweep
included undercover operations and led to the opening of over five dozen
federal and international criminal investigations.
Agents and
analysts at FBI Milwaukee worked closely with the National Center for
Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) to coordinate and de-conflict
these law enforcement operations.
In all, approximately 65
suspected distributors, manufacturers and hands-on offenders have been
identified by law enforcement, arrested, and/or are in the process of
being formally charged.
FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Robert Hughes issued the following statement:
"The FBI is fiercely focused on recovering child victims and arresting the individuals who exploit them. Through operations like this, the FBI helps child victims escape the abusive sexual exploitation occurring in their homes by people they trust."
Winnebago County Sheriff John Matz also commented:
"We are pleased to have our federal partners working with us on this priority operation. We recognize children are the most vulnerable population we serve and protecting them will always be of greatest importance to law enforcement."
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