40 Kids Rescued in SoCal Predator Sting
- Southern California law enforcement agencies rescued 40 children and arrested 341 suspects during a multi-agency sting operation ending May 2026. - The five-day effort targeted online predators posing as minors on apps and websites across Los Angeles County and surrounding areas. - Officials plan additional operations with federal partners to combat rising child exploitation cases through 2026.
Southern California police rescued 40 children and arrested 341 men accused of attempting to meet minors for sex during a five-day sting operation that concluded this week. The multi-agency effort, dubbed Operation Take Back Our Children II, focused on internet predators using social media and chat apps to target kids. Authorities described the haul as one of the largest in recent years for the region. ### Which agencies ran the sting? The Los Angeles Regional Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force led the operation, with participation from 35 local, state, and federal agencies. Huntington Beach Police Department detectives posed as children online, while over 100 officers executed arrests at prearranged meetup spots in parking lots, hotels, and parks across Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, and Imperial counties. The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and California Highway Patrol provided support, including surveillance and logistics. In total, 500 officers from 35 agencies took part, according to Huntington Beach Police Lt. Patrick Smythe. "This was a coordinated effort to remove predators from our streets," Smythe said in a department release. The task force has conducted similar stings annually, with this one doubling prior arrest numbers. ([huntington
