341 Arrested, 40 Children Rescued in SoCal Internet Crimes Operation
Those arrested face charges including production, possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material, lewd acts with a child, attempting to contact minors for lewd purposes, human trafficking, failure to register as a sex offender and parole.
Authorities arrested 341 people and rescued 40 children during a two-week crackdown on internet crimes against children across five Southern California counties, officials announced Thursday.
The operation, known as Operation Firewall, was conducted by the Los Angeles Regional Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force from April 19 to May 3.
Investigators focused on individuals who used the internet to sexually exploit children. The multi-agency effort included proactive undercover operations on social media platforms and the execution of search and arrest warrants.
Those arrested face charges including production, possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material, lewd acts with a child, attempting to contact minors for lewd purposes, human trafficking, failure to register as a sex offender and parole or probation violations.
The Los Angeles Regional ICAC Task Force, led by the Los Angeles Police Department, covers Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties and includes 112 law enforcement partner agencies.
The task force is part of a national network of 61 ICAC task forces established by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat online child sexual exploitation.
Officials said the operation has concluded but investigations into online crimes against children remain ongoing.
Midland man receives 100-year prison sentence in child sexual assault case
MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) - A Midland man has been sentenced to 100 years in prison after being convicted on multiple charges involving the sexual assault of a child, according to the Midland County District Attorney’s Office.
On Thursday, a jury in the 441st District Court sentenced 43-year-old Sergio Lorenzo Gonzales following a trial in which he was found guilty of one count of aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14 and two counts of indecency with a child by sexual contact.
Court records show Gonzales received a 70-year sentence for the aggravated sexual assault charge and 30 years for each indecency charge. The judge ordered the 70-year sentence and one of the 30-year sentences to run consecutively, resulting in a total sentence of 100 years in prison. The second 30-year sentence will run concurrently.
According to the district attorney’s office, Gonzales will not be eligible for parole for at least 45 years.
Prosecutors said Gonzales was acquitted on three additional counts during the trial. The assaults were reported to have occurred in 2024.
During the two-day trial, jurors heard testimony from the teenage victim, her cousin, her mother, a forensic interviewer, a specially trained nurse, a Midland County Sheriff’s Office investigator and two DPS lab analysts.
The district attorney’s office said Gonzales claimed he had been set up by the victim and her mother. Prosecutors also noted Gonzales had previous convictions, including a felony theft conviction and a federal narcotics conviction.
The Midland County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Midland County Assistant District Attorneys Whitney Garnett and Shane Chriesman prosecuted the case.
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