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“These suspects could be your neighbors,” a State Police official said Monday. A three-day sting netted 56 arrests across Massachusetts last week as State Police escalate efforts to crack down on child enticement and the spread of child sexual abuse material. Speaking to reporters Monday, State Police Lt. Col. Daniel Tucker said authorities launched “Operation Firewall” to address the exploitation of children via the internet. Over the course of three days last week, he said, State Police and local officials arrested 56 people, seized 229 electronic devices, and executed 34 residential search warrants. Twenty-five suspects were charged with possession of child pornography, while another 19 were accused of trying to arrange for sex online by communicating with an undercover officer posing as a child, according to Tucker. Seven suspects had outstanding warrants for failing to register as a sex offender, and five had warrants for rape and assault and battery on a child, he said. The amount of illegal material found on suspects’ devices was “alarming,” Tucker said. All but one of the suspects are men, and they range in age from 18 to 75 years old, he said. “If you think you may know the type of person who commits these types of crimes, I can assure you there is no profile when it comes to child exploitation,” Tucker said. “We arrested successful businesspeople, homeowners, spouses, and parents of children.” He added: “These suspects could be your neighbors.” Police did not identify any of the suspects during Monday’s press conference. State Police Col. Geoffrey Noble said child exploitation cases require “tremendous resolve” from the law enforcement officers and prosecutors who work to bring justice. “They require you to set aside your personal feelings about these disturbing behaviors and follow the facts and evidence,” Noble explained. “These investigations also require us to overcome the evasive tactics of the suspects who conceal their identity and their activity with encryption or decoy IP addresses and any emerging technology that enables them to go unchecked.” The troopers who worked on Operation Firewall “delivered exactly what the public expects from us, which is strong police investigations conducted with integrity and a singular focus on protecting victims from further harm,” Noble added. “They epitomize the best of our profession.” Noble urged parents to monitor their children’s online communications and help stop the spread of explicit material. Several district attorneys who joined Noble at the press conference echoed his message to families. “Talk to your kids,” Berkshire District Attorney Timothy J. Shugrue advised. “These people are out there. They’re on these phones. They’re trying to get in there, and they’re trying to lure kids to have sex with them. It’s a very, very disturbing trend.” Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early noted child exploitation survivors often suffer residual trauma, possibly even increasing their odds for later substance abuse or legal troubles. “They’re our sons, they’re our daughters, they’re our nieces and nephews,” he said. According to Noble, the number of tips police receive about purported child exploitation has grown rapidly over the past several years. “And what this operation shows is that we’re up for the challenge,” he added.
