Eleven men were arrested by Oakley police on suspicion of using the internet to find children to sexually exploit and abuse them, according to a department press release.
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The men’s ages spanned between 27 to 64 years old. One was a known Boy Scout troop master from Concord, and another was a known behavioral therapist for children with special needs.
Of the 11 arrests, two men were from Pittsburg, two were from Concord, two were from Antioch and two were from Hayward. Additional suspects were from Oakley, Oakland and South San Francisco. All the suspects were booked into jail.
The police arrested them after they found that the men had allegedly established inappropriate and sexually-based relationships with people they believed were children. Each of the men was arrested after attempting to meet up with their intended target at a designated meeting spot. Some of the men brought candy or contraceptive items with them.
The operation was conducted between May 24 and May 31 with the Internet Crimes Against Children task force, which included several agencies, including the FBI, Homeland Security, U.S. Secret Service and several local police departments and the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office and District Attorney’s Office.
“I have always appreciated proactive, task-oriented missions. This operation ranks at the top of what I consider to be the most important type of proactive, task-oriented missions,” said Oakley Police Chief Paul Beard. “In a very literal sense, the innocence of children was saved by the efforts that went into this operation. Knowing some of the back stories that went into these arrests, I have a very visceral feeling of disgust about the men who were arrested.”
If anyone has any information related to these arrests or other cases of child sexual abuse and exploitation, the Oakley police department can be reached at 925-625-8855. For those who might need resources on this topic, the Greater Bay Area Child Abuse Prevention Council Coalition has been working for over 30 years to coordinate resources and advocate for public policy.