Authorities arrest 42 in sweeping Inland Empire child sex exploitation operation

"A person wanted for child sexual assault, two corporate vice presidents and a child psychologist were among 42 people arrested in a sweeping child sexual exploitation bust in the Inland Empire, authorities announced Monday."

"The effort, dubbed Operation Volcano, identified more than 500 suspected distributors of child pornography as part of an effort to dismantle regional networks exploiting minors, according to the Riverside County district attorney's office."

"Among the hundreds of suspects identified, authorities focused on those deemed to pose the highest risk. They included people who had previously committed sexual offenses, those under criminal justice supervision, people working with children, and individuals in positions of public trust."

"Authorities found the suspects by identifying IP addresses distributing child sexual abuse material on peer-to-peer networks. A peer-to-peer network is a system where computers connect directly to share data without a central server, which can enable users to exchange illegal material in a decentralized way that's harder"

Operation Volcano led to the arrest of 42 people in the Inland Empire for suspected child sexual exploitation. The effort identified more than 500 suspected distributors of child pornography to dismantle regional networks exploiting minors. Authorities prioritized individuals considered highest risk, including people with prior sexual offenses, those under criminal justice supervision, people working with children, and people in positions of public trust. Arrests included a retired law enforcement employee, registered sex offenders, a prison information technology employee, a local government planning director, a hospital chief technology officer, a notary public, a United States Postal Service employee, and a naturopathic doctor. The operation began in March 2025 through a partnership between the Riverside County Child Exploitation Team and Our Rescue. Suspects were identified by tracing IP addresses distributing child sexual abuse material on peer-to-peer networks.

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