Operation COVID Crackdown: 30 Men Arrested In Virginia For Soliciting Sex From Minors

The Fairfax County police in Virginia arrested 30 men Tuesday for soliciting sex from minors. Authorities said this was part of a sting dubbed Operation COVID Crackdown amid an increase in children's online activities.

School closures and stay-at-home orders in the last few weeks saw an increase in the presence of kids on the internet, thus increasing their vulnerability to exploitations.

"Our detectives have remained vigilant and they recognized the increased threat posed by online predators in recent weeks," Bureau Commander of Major Crimes Major Ed O'Carroll said in a statement.

The sting operation involved police officers in posing as children online, where the suspects apparently initiated explicit conversations and asked for sex. The suspects then agreed to meet in person, not knowing that there were going to be arrested.

According to reports, the suspects were from the ages of 20 to 74 and are residents of northern Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. The suspects were charged with a combined 68 felonies.

Following the arrest, parents are urged to monitor their children's online activities, especially during this lockdown.

"Kids are on devices all the time, and it creates an environment where child predators have a lot of targets they can go after," Jeff David of the Fairfax County School Parent said. "So, it’s something we absolutely have to be strongly paying attention to."

Parents can talk to their children about people who pretend to be someone else on the internet. They may also use parental controls on devices that will limit their children's access.

Meanwhile, the public is also encouraged to report incidents of exploitation of children via the Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800 or through the Crime Solvers tip line: 1-866-411-TIPS.