Seventy people across Mississippi were arrested during a two-week Homeland Security Investigations-led operation focused on online child predators and noncompliant sex offenders, officials announced this week.
The arrests included 13 on child exploitation charges and 48 registered sex offenders accused of failing to meet registry requirements. Authorities also seized more than 50 electronic devices, served more than eight search warrants, and secured three immigration detainers. In addition, one child was rescued from an ongoing sextortion scheme.
Homeland Security Investigations led Operation Muddy Waters, which took place from July 20 to July 31. Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, the U.S. attorneys for the Northern and Southern districts of Mississippi, as well as more than a dozen additional partner agencies, took part in the statewide crackdown.
“For two weeks, federal, state, and local law enforcement have been working together to find the predators who hide in plain sight in our communities,” Fitch said in a statement released Aug. 3.
“And the outstanding number of arrests made during this operation point to the power of this partnership. But the most important number coming from this operation is the one child victim that was saved from a sextortion scheme in progress. The work done in this operation made all the difference to this child and to countless others who are a little safer online right now.”
Homeland Security Investigations Assistant Special Agent in Charge Matt Reidell said agents employed various approaches during the investigations, including undercover online work, serving search warrants, and conducting compliance checks on offenders known to law enforcement.
Some of those arrested held positions of public trust at the time of their arrest, including roles that placed them in the vicinity of children. The sweep also helped investigators uncover dozens of new leads that remain under investigation. Names of those arrested in the operation have yet to be released while cases are ongoing.
“SEVENTY CHILD PREDATORS ARRESTED,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted on X. “@HSI_HQ, alongside state and local partners, investigated and arrested dozens of child predators in Mississippi — including illegal aliens. The heroic men and women of our law enforcement will NEVER stop fighting to hunt down disgusting predators and protect innocent children.”
