The Justice Department announced Tuesday that it has arrested more than 2,300 suspected online child-sex offenders during a nationwide operation that lasted three months.
The sweep, called “Operation Broken Heart,” was conducted by the Internet Crimes Against Children task forces and homed in on online sex offenders specifically.
According to the Justice Department, the alleged child predators nabbed in the operation were involved in creating, distributing or possessing child pornography, approached children online “for sexual purposes,” participated in the sex trafficking of children, or crossed state or international lines to sexually abuse children.
In the press release, Attorney General Jeff Sessions noted the role that technology played in facilitating the spread of child pornography and said that the DOJ would remain tough on suspected child-sex abusers.
Sessions also noted that 25,200 “technology facilitated” sexual abuse complaints had been investigated thus far by the DOJ.