26 people arrested in monthlong operation by Riverside County Child Exploitation Team
A month-long sting operation led to the arrest of 26 people across Riverside County accused of various child sexual abuse crimes.
In April, the Riverside County Child Exploitation Team (RCCET), a multiagency team led by the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation, conducted various operations that led to the arrests.
RCCET conducted 52 sex offender compliance checks in the City of Hemet, which resulted in five arrests for violations of parole terms and 13 arrests for failure to register as sex offenders.
Additionally, RCCET conducted an online undercover investigation in which a man traveled to the City of Riverside to meet with who he believed to be a child for sex. The agency revealed that the man was arrested and later determined to be a currently registered sex offender in San Diego County.
RCCET also served search warrants at multiple locations in the cities of Beaumont, Corona, Indio, Lake Elsinore, Moreno Valley, and Murrieta for possession of child sexual abuse material. Those investigations resulted in six arrests, including a person who was a currently registered sex offender.
RCCET was asked by a federal agency to assume an investigation into possession of child sexual abuse material. Through the investigation, RCCET investigators determined the person was involved in possessing child sexual abuse material and was arrested.
RCCET regularly conducts investigations into those who participate in the online exploitation of children. For more information about RCCET, please go to www.rivcosafe.org.
The task force works in partnership with the following agencies: Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, the Beaumont, Blythe, Desert Hot Springs, Menifee, Murrieta, and Riverside police departments, the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation, FBI, the Inland Regional Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking task force, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Marshals Service.
News Channel 3's Karen Devine saw first-hand the RCCET at work back in Sept during a raid of an apartment of a known registered sex offender in Palm Springs.
