Over 100 kids rescued from sexual exploitation, Dallas FBI says

A North Texas task force of more than 70 law enforcement agencies, federal officials, and the Dallas FBI office last week said it arrested 244 offenders. The arrests came after a monthlong investigation into digital child exploitation in connection with sex trafficking or pornography. Authorities rescued 109 children during the operation and seized extensive amounts of illicit data stored on electronic devices, according to the Dallas FBI.

How did officials find the perpetrators? Law enforcement agencies collaborated with investigators who specialize in computer crimes to identify victims and trace the suspects accused of producing, distributing, and possessing child sexual abuse material. More arrests could follow as investigators analyze data. A grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas indicted some of the individuals identified through the operation, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The operation was part of Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative started in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation. 

Dig deeper: Read my report about a nationwide operation earlier this spring in which authorities arrested 205 offenders.