‘Operation Predator’ at 2,000 Arrest Mark

SACRAMENTO -- When El Dorado Hills, Calif., resident Larry Michael Jeffs was arrested last week for various child pornography charges, his apprehension was part of “Operation Predator,” a federal program targeting child predators.

Since the program began in July, Operation Predator has netted more than 2,000 arrests worldwide, including arrests of U.S. citizens who have traveled abroad to have sex with minors, people charged with molesting mentally impaired children, and those who smuggled foreign children into the U.S. to work as prostitutes, as well as those who manufacture or distribute child pornography on the Internet.

Jeffs' story may not have been typical of those arrested under Operation Predator, but the way in which authorities searched out his alleged crime was.

His case originally came under scrutiny through the program operated by the Department of Homeland Security after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents traced explicit computer images recovered during an ongoing probe in Detroit.

He is alleged to have videotaped himself molesting his daughter, who was only 2 months old at the time, and then distributing it over the Internet to a Detroit man. The 41-year-old air traffic controller is being held without bond at the Sacramento County Jail on federal child pornography charges.

According to the federal complaint obtained by XBiz, Jeffs told agents last week that he began posing nude with his baby “at the request of chat group members.”

The federal complaint said images in the 77-frame video distributed over the Internet show the infant lying nude on a baby blanket decorated with pink rabbits while a sexually explicit act was being performed in the presence of the child.

Authorities say they believe the infant, now 8 months old, is one of the youngest sexual assault victims they have ever encountered.

Jeffs is charged with distributing child pornography and production of child pornography involving a parent. If convicted on both counts, he faces a maximum sentence of 50 years in prison.

The Operation Predator investigation in Jeffs case used real-time eavesdropping on computer conversations authorized by a 2003 law, the Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to End the Exploitation of Children Today, or PROTECT, Act. That law makes Internet-related sexual abuse of minors a so-called Title III crime, which allows court-ordered wiretaps.

Joan Irvine, executive director of Adult Sites Against Child Pornography (ASACP), said it takes a combined effort like Operation Predator to nab criminals and that she hopes her group’s work to identify predators has helped in these types of investigations.

“ASACP and the professionals in the adult-site industry are pleased that they can contribute to this effort,” Irvine said.

But the Jeffs case, she said, is beyond anyone’s imagination.

“The truth of the matter is that most child porn images are of very young children,” Irvine said. “But that a father would sexually abuse his 2 month old is beyond sick and then to distribute the video for others to view is disgusting.”

Copyright © 2024 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Nebraska Republican's Age Verification Bill Gets 1st Round Approval Despite Privacy, Free Speech Concerns

Nebraska’s unicameral legislature has passed the state’s version of the age verification bills being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists.

AEBN Celebrates 25th Anniversary

The Adult Entertainment Broadcast Network (AEBN) is celebrating its 25th year in business this week.

Performers in Meta Blacklisting Lawsuit Seek to Preserve Antitrust Claims

Adult Performance Artists Guild board officers Alana Evans, Kelly Pierce and Ruby have informed a California court that, although they want to drop their lawsuit claiming that Meta conspired with OnlyFans to blacklist rival premium fan platforms’ talent, they may still have antitrust claims that they may pursue in the future.

FSC, Co-Plaintiffs to Ask US Supreme Court to Review Constitutionality of Texas Age Verification Law

Free Speech Coalition (FSC) and its co-plaintiffs in the challenge to Texas’ controversial age verification law have filed a petition before the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit asking to stay its recent upholding the law because they intend to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to review the law’s constitutionality.

FSC Vows to Fight Florida Age Verification Law

Free Speech Coalition (FSC) issued a statement vowing to continue fighting Florida’s age verification law, which was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday as part of a comprehensive bill targeting minors’ use of social media.

Kansas Republican Aims to Create New Bureaucracy to 'Investigate' Porn Websites

Republican state legislators succeeded Monday in moving forward Kansas’ version of the age verification bills being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists, despite serious concerns raised by House Democrats about the cost of establishing a new bureaucracy tasked with investigating websites for pornographic content.

SK Intertainment Launches 'Skinfluential Management' Agency, FansFuel Joint Venture

Mr. Skin/Mr. Man parent company SK Intertainment has launched new creator agency Skinfluential Management, as well as a new joint venture with Showbizz Media's creator stats and affiliate marketing platform, FansFuel.

Industry Attorney, Free Speech Champion Clyde DeWitt Passes Away at 75

Noted industry attorney Clyde DeWitt passed away on Friday in Las Vegas at 75, according to friends and colleagues.

APClips Names Avery Jane 'Creator of the Month'

APClips has named Avery Jane its Creator of the Month for March.

JustFor.fans Offers Gumroad Users Platform to Sell NSFW Artwork

JustFor.fans (JFF) is offering Gumroad users a platform to sell NSFW artwork after the latter banned adult content.

Show More