The FBI has concluded a national surge of resources to arrest accused child sex abuse offenders and combat child exploitation. The initiative called Operation Restore Justice was a coordinated effort by every FBI field office across the country. 205 people were arrested nationwide.

The Phoenix Field Office arrested six people during the time of this operation last week, with the core days being April 28 through May 2, including:

• A subject in Sells, Arizona, for allegedly surreptitiously recording and taking photographs of his girlfriend’s two daughters, one of whom was a minor, while they were sleeping in their bedrooms.
• A subject in Clarkdale, Arizona, for alleged online enticement of multiple victims, all of whom were minors, and production of child pornography.
• A subject in Phoenix, Arizona, for the alleged possession and distribution of child pornography.
• A subject on the Salt River Indian Reservation for the alleged production and possession of child pornography, and sexual abuse of a minor. 
• A subject on the Navajo Nation in Arizona for the alleged aggravated sexual abuse of a child.
• A subject in Tucson, Arizona, was allegedly distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on a popular social media network. When a search warrant was served on the subject’s home related to the CSAM, cocaine and automatic weapons were discovered.

“Operation Restore Justice underscored our unwavering commitment to protecting children,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Jose A. Perez. “Every arrest in these child sexual abuse cases not only delivers justice—it sends a powerful message: crimes against children will not be tolerated.”

The initiative last week was a joint effort of federal, state, and local partners that coincided with Child Abuse Prevention Month and highlights the FBI’s ongoing efforts to confront these crimes.

Operation Restore Justice, while just a few days in length, served to highlight the fact that investigating child sex abuse is an ongoing, high-priority mission of the FBI.

In 2024, FBI Phoenix Violent Crimes Against Children (VCAC) special agents and task force officers arrested 71 alleged child predators and either identified and/or located 75 children identified as victims of abuse.

The FBI’s (VCAC) program coordinates and bolsters efforts to counter threats of abuse and exploitation of children that fall under FBI jurisdiction—including the production, sharing, and possession of child sexual abuse material; domestic and/or international travel to engage sexually with children; and the extortion of children to provide sexually explicit material of themselves. VCAC also helps to identify, locate, and recover child victims and strengthen partnerships that are critical to prevent abuse and capture offenders.

The FBI investigates cases through Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Forces (CEHTTFs) located in each field office, allowing 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 people 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 NCMEC.

To submit a tip about the potential exploitation of a child, call 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), visit tips.fbi.gov, or call the FBI’s Phoenix Field Office at 623-466-1999.