Over 200 alleged child sex offenders arrested in FBI-led nationwide crackdown
Written By Jatin Verma
Published: May 08, 2025, 05:23 IST | Updated: May 08, 2025, 05:23 IST
Story highlights
World: These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006
More than 200 suspected child sex offenders were arrested as part of a nationwide crackdown, the US Department of Justice confirmed on May 7.
"If you harm our children you will be given no sanctuary," FBI Director Kash Patel said at a May 7 press conference. "There is no place we will not come to hunt you down. There is no place we will not look for you. And there is no cage we will not put you in should you do harm to our children."
The US Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators. The operation was executed by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.
Over the course of five days, from April 28 through May 2, more than 200 child sexual abuse offenders were arrested nationwide as part of the effort. These include school leaders, registered sex offenders and members of law enforcement who are accused of various crimes including the production, distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM); online enticement and transportation of minors; and child sex trafficking.
“The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims – especially child victims – and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”
“There are few situations more urgent than when a child is physically at risk, and as ‘Operation Restore Justice’ has shown, child predators come in many different forms,” said James Crowley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “As horrific as these alleged crimes are, they are not rare. Make no mistake, FBI Boston's Child Exploitation - Human Trafficking Task Force is committed to finding these child sex abusers, locking them up, and ensuring those they have victimized are safe and well-supported," he added.