The Department of Justice has announced the results of Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated nationwide effort targeting child sex predators. Over a two-week period, the operation led to the location of more than 205 child victims and the arrest of over 293 individuals accused of child sexual abuse offenses. The initiative involved all 56 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ offices across the country.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi stated, “We will not allow evil criminals who prey on children to evade justice. Our federal agents have worked tirelessly alongside our state and local partners to track down these vile predators, and now our prosecutors will ensure they receive severe punishments to match their horrific crimes.”
FBI Director Kash Patel commented on the scope of the operation: “Operation Relentless Justice shows no child will be forgotten and that all predators targeting the most vulnerable amongst us will be held accountable. This year, the FBI has led multiple nationwide surges across the U.S. to find and arrest hundreds of child predators. We will not stop until every child can live a life free of exploitation. We will utilize the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state, and local partners to protect communities across the nation from such horrific crimes.”
John A. Sarcone III, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York, said: “Operation Relentless Justice reflects our tireless commitment to keeping our children safe. I am proud of the work of the prosecutors in my Office and the men and women of the FBI, who are truly relentless in their pursuit of justice on behalf of the most vulnerable and precious members of our communities. We will remain steadfast in getting every single child predator off the streets and behind bars.”
Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albany Field Office, added: “Operation Relentless Justice was a huge success thanks to the strong partnerships on our Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force. Working together, we removed eight dangerous predators from our communities. Six were charged federally and two were charged by New York State. And we won’t stop there. The FBI will continue to leverage our law enforcement partners to use every resource at our disposal to identify, investigate, and bring to justice any predator seeking to harm our most vulnerable.”
In New York’s Northern District specifically, several individuals were arrested as part of separate cases:
– Thomas J. Meehan is alleged to have sold child sexual abuse material (CSAM) involving victims under 13 years old online for at least two years.
– David McMurray was previously convicted for distribution and possession of child pornography; while under supervision he allegedly used an unauthorized cell phone to access CSAM.
– Vincent Lee Evans allegedly possessed thousands of images and videos depicting CSAM while on supervision for a prior conviction.
– David Wickham is accused of distributing CSAM via social media applications.
– Mark Porto allegedly received CSAM depicting pre-pubescent minors over several months.
– James Winston III is accused of possessing numerous CSAM files on his cell phone.
Across other parts of the country during this operation, those arrested face allegations including production or distribution or possession of CSAM; online enticement; transportation; or trafficking involving minors.
Some notable arrests include an airman from Dallas arrested with his wife for producing CSAM; a Raleigh police officer who distributed CSAM while discussing intent for sexual contact with children; as well as a Guatemalan national with prior deportations facing new charges after being arrested by Miami agents.
The operation also targeted sextortion cases—highlighting arrests such as five leaders from “Greggy’s Cult” who exploited children online—and included cases where suspects coerced minors into producing exploitative content.
The Department noted that these efforts follow earlier operations like Operation Restore Justice in May which resulted in rescuing 115 children nationwide along with additional arrests.
Victims identified during this initiative received support through forensic interviews as well as referrals for medical or mental health services coordinated by FBI’s Victim Services Division (VSD).
These actions are part of Project Safe Childhood—a program launched by DOJ in May 2006—to combat online exploitation using combined resources from federal agencies along with state/local authorities (more information at https://www.justice.gov/psc).
The Department collaborates with organizations such as National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), which operates a hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST (https://www.missingkids.org/) for reporting suspected incidents.
Officials encourage anyone suspecting child exploitation activity report tips via FBI tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI or https://tips.fbi.gov/.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
