Attorney General Pamela Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel recently announced an unprecedented national initiative to protect the most vulnerable members of our communities. The FBI launched a coordinated effort with all field offices in a sweeping action to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators.

Since the end of April, the FBI arrested 205 subjects across the country and rescued 115 children during Operation Restore Justice. These subjects are accused of various crimes, including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material; online enticement and transportation of minors; and child sex trafficking. They include school leaders and registered sex offenders, among others.

In the Central District of California, five individuals were charged with federal crimes as follows:

• Andrew Castillon, age 47, of El Monte, California, was arrested for possession of child pornography.
• Jose Olvera, age 34, of North Hollywood, California, was arrested for distribution and possession of child pornography.
• Steven Nuss, 66, of San Juan Capistrano, California, was arrested for possession/distribution of child pornography.
• David Eugene Parker, age: 55, La Palma, California, was arrested for possession of child pornography.
• Gregory Cole Jr, age 30, of Lancaster, California, was arrested for production of child pornography, online enticement of a minor, receipt of child pornography, failure to appear and a probation violation.

Two additional individuals were arrested in Los Angeles for sexual exploitation of a child and charges of coercion and enticement, respectively; however, those cases are being prosecuted in separate districts.

"The amount of child predators arrested during Operation Restore Justice should shock the conscience of any law-abiding citizen and parents or guardians, in particular," said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. "Each day, our agents are tackling criminal allegations involving children, whether it be online dangers like sextortion, emerging nihilist extremist networks like 764, or children being groomed by someone close to them. We urge caretakers of all children to educate themselves about these constant threats targeting the most vulnerable members of our society."

"Sexual predators who target children leave emotional scars that can last a lifetime," said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. "Along with our law enforcement partners, we seek to bring a measure of solace to victims and put criminals on notice that they risk lengthy prison sentences and severe penalties for harming children."

As the nation marked National Child Abuse Prevention month in April, the timing of this effort was a culmination of countless hours by hundreds of FBI agents. It further underscores the FBI’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Bureau works relentlessly to investigate these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of prevention and community education.

The FBI takes a proactive approach to identify unknown individuals involved in the sexual exploitation of children and the production of child sexual abuse material. We do that through our Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Forces (CEHTTFs) located in each field office. This allows the FBI to combine resources with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The FBI also partners with the nonprofit National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org .

In 2004, the FBI created the Endangered Child Alert Program (ECAP) to identify individuals involved in the sexual abuse of children and the production of child sexual abuse material. The program is a collaborative effort between the FBI and the NMCEC.

The FBI also offers resources for parents and caregivers to stay engaged with their children’s online and offline activities. The FBI’s Safe Online Surfing (SOS) program teaches students in grades 3 to 8 how to navigate the web safely.

The FBI urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through our tiplines at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

Other online resources:

• Electronic Press Kit Violent Crimes Against Children
• How we can help you: Parents and Caregivers