ATLANTA (AP) — Authorities say a roundup operation targeting child pornography suspects resulted in 82 arrests across eight Southeastern states.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a news release Friday that 31 of the arrests occurred in Georgia. Most of them involved charges of possessing or distributing child pornography. The GBI said some were charged after making plans to have sex with people the suspects met online and believed were minors, but were actually law enforcement officers.
Investigators said a total of 82 people were arrested and 17 children were rescued or identified as a result of the operation.
Officials said the suspects range in age from 20 to 70. Some of their occupations included non-profit employee, small business owner, store clerk, mechanic, daycare administrator, youth group leader, former high school band director, freelance photographer, construction worker and painter.
About 170 agencies also took part in the crackdown that also included in Florida, Alabama, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.
The GBI said Operation Southern Impact III was planned for four months and the arrests came after three days of undercover operations, executing search warrants and other actions.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.