US Attorney’s Office Arrests 33 Accused Sexual Predators After Multiagency Operation

The Acting U.S. Attorney for northeastern Oklahoma announced the arrests of 33 accused sexual predators.

Operation Clean Sweep was a multiagency, four-month-long operation that charged 33 people with child pornography and enticement charges. The U.S. Attorneys' office said 12 of the defendants have pleaded guilty in federal court already. They also said their investigation was able to rescue 12 child victims.

Acting United States Attorney Clint Johnson says these cases are disturbing.

He says these kinds of people prey on the most vulnerable of victims, children. He says law enforcement will do everything in their power to stop it.

"Let me make this clear. The internet has made the world smaller, but the Department of Justice, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies will always reach out to every inch of Northeastern Oklahoma that goes against or commits crimes against our children,” said Deputy Chief Dennis Larsen with Tulsa Police.

This was a team effort between federal, state. local and tribal law enforcement. Half of all of the arrests were in Tulsa and Rogers Counties.

The crimes include child pornography, molesting children, using the internet to ask a child for sex, child sex trafficking, and more. Investigators say the victims were four years old to 17 years old.

U.S. Attorney Johnson says during the pandemic, they saw a major increase in child predators because more people were at home and on the internet.

"Parents have to be vigilant. That’s the first line of defense. Knowing what platforms your children are on, watching what they are doing on the internet, making sure you know who their friends are,” said Johnson.

Investigators and prosecutors say even though this operation is over, they don't plan to stop going after those who go after children.