One of the biggest child predator busts in state history unfolded in North Louisiana in the past month. That’s the word from Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill and members of the Louisiana Internet Crime Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
As the Louisiana Radio Network reports, Murrill detailed “Operation Access Denied,” which ran from November 1 to December 1, led to 67 arrests. “Everyone who we arrested had a previous conviction of a sex crime involving a juvenile victim. And they were subsequently arrested for additional violations of Louisiana law that were discovered during this operation.”
Murrill described the scope of the coordinated operation as massive, involving more than 30 law enforcement agencies, stretching across North Louisiana. Specifically, agents came from 26 sheriff’s offices, three police departments, the Department of Public Safety and the Bossier Marshal’s Office.
Investigators utilized databases and resources available to law enforcement and the state sex offender registry to identify the sex offenders who were engaging in illegal online activity, and that led to the discovery of other crimes.
Murrill says “some of the offenders were re-arrested for crimes like first degree rape, computer aided solicitation of a juvenile, indecent behavior with a juvenile, possession of child sexual abuse material, sexual abuse of an animal, and other similar disturbing charges.”
The attorney general recalls that when she took office in January of 2024, the Louisiana ICAC Task Force only had 8 partner agencies statewide. “Today, we have over 70 partner agencies on the Task Force, which now receive trainings and leads in their jurisdictions related to the exploitation of children in Louisiana.”
With a greatly expanded network of partner agencies, the Louisiana ICAC Task Force has recorded 26,896 Cybertips this year alone. Murrill noted the 516 arrests, 82 new child victims that have been identified and 64 child victims that have been rescued from ongoing abuse, which collectively have made the task force’s efforts a “tremendous success.”
