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The Department of Justice announced the arrest of more than 2,300 suspected online child sex offenders during a three-month, nationwide, operation conducted by Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task forces. The task forces identified 195 offenders who either produced child pornography or committed child sexual abuse, and 383 children who suffered recent, ongoing, or historical sexual abuse or production of child pornography.
Among those arrested were Newburgh residents Miguel De Dios, 23, and Daniel Monohan, 41, both of whom were arrested by New York State Police troopers last month in separate busts.
During the course of the operation, the task forces investigated more than 25,200 complaints of technology-facilitated crimes against children and delivered more than 3,700 presentations on Internet safety to more than 390,000 youth and adults.
According to the DOJ, the operation targeted suspects who produce, distribute, receive and possess child pornography, engage in online enticement of children for sexual purposes, engage in the sex trafficking of children; and travel across state lines or to foreign countries and sexually abuse children.
"No child should ever have to endure sexual abuse," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement on Tuesday. "And yet, in recent years, certain forms of modern technology have facilitated the spread of child pornography and created greater incentives for its production.
“We at the Department of Justice are determined to strike back against these repugnant crimes. It is shocking and very sad that in this one operation, we have arrested more than 2,300 alleged child predators and investigated some 25,200 sexual abuse complaints. Any would-be criminal should be warned: this Department will remain relentless in hunting down those who victimize our children."
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