According to a press release from Oakley Police, 11 men were arrested on suspicion of using the Internet to locate children and sexually exploit and abuse them.
Of the 11 arrests, two men were from Pittsburg, two from Concord, two from Antioch and two from Hayward. Other suspects were from Oakley, Oakland and South San Francisco. All suspects were taken to jail.
Police arrested them after discovering that the boys had allegedly engaged in inappropriate and sexually motivated relationships with people they believed to be children. Each of the boys was arrested after attempting to satisfy with their intended goal at an agreed meeting point. Some of the boys brought candy or contraceptives with them.
The operation was conducted between May 24 and May 31 with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which included multiple agencies, including the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Secret Service, several local police departments, and the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office and District Attorney's Office.
“I have always valued proactive, mission-oriented operations. This operation, in my opinion, is one of the most important proactive, mission-oriented operations,” said Oakley Police Chief Paul Beard. “Literally, the innocence of children was saved by the efforts made in this operation. Knowing some of the histories that led to these arrests, I feel a deep sense of disgust for the men who were arrested.”
If anyone has details about these arrests or other cases of kid sexual abuse and exploitation, they will contact Oakley Police at 925-625-8855. For those needing resources on this topic, the Greater Bay Area Child Abuse Prevention Council Coalition has been working to coordinate resources and advocate for public policy for over 30 years.
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