SALT LAKE CITY — Law enforcement agencies made 15 arrests over a four-day operation in Utah targeting internet child exploitation.
The Utah Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force executed Operation Cyber Strike between April 22 – 25, 2024. The purpose of the operation was to locate and apprehend those who were actively using the internet to sexually exploit children.
Residential search warrants were served at the homes of offenders who downloaded, viewed, and distributed child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Task force agents also conducted undercover chat investigations on various social media platforms to find offenders who sought to meet with children for sexual activity.
Attorney General Sean D. Reyes said, “As disturbing as it is to have so many predators lurking in social media and gaming apps, it is equally comforting to know how effective our ICAC team is at combating those who actively seek to exploit children. This operation is another example of how local, state, and federal agencies work to keep Utah’s children and families safe from online threats.”
The Utah County Sheriff’s Office hosted the four-day operation in Provo, which resulted in 15 arrests with over 70 task force agents who participated from 31 different federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
The felony level charges the 15 offenders face include (but are not limited to) the sexual exploitation of a minor, dealing in harmful materials to a minor, enticing a minor, and human trafficking of a child. The arrests occurred in Weber, Davis, Salt Lake, Summit, and Utah counties.