Year-long investigation in Riverside County leads to 42 arrests of suspects accused of distributing or using child sex abuse materials

More than three dozen Riverside County residents were arrested during a year-long investigation targeting distributors and users of child sex abuse materials, authorities said Monday, May 11.

The 42 suspects were apprehended as part of “Operation Volcano,” which involved tracking down and identifying individuals possessing and peddling child sex abuse images and videos, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

“Fourteen of those arrested were identified as high-risk offenders, including an individual with a $2 million arrest warrant for child sexual assault, a child psychologist, a naturopathic doctor, a retired law enforcement employee, a California prison information technology employee, a local government planning director, a Southern California hospital chief technology officer, a notary public, a U.S. Postal Service employee, two corporate vice presidents and three registered sex offenders,” the agency stated Monday.

A complete list of those taken into custody in previous months is available here: https://www.facebook.com/RivCoDA/. Most of the parties are no longer in custody, and bond information was unavailable.

Operation Volcano ran from March 2025 to March 2026.

Prosecutors said the Riverside County Child Exploitation Team, or RCEET, was at the forefront of the investigation, partnering with the anti-human trafficking nonprofit OUR Rescue, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, California Highway Patrol, Los Angeles Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and San Diego ICAC Task Force.

RCEET is staffed by District Attorney’s Office personnel, but relies on assistance from investigators with the county sheriff’s department, multiple municipal police agencies and others.

“Resources and operational support provided by OUR Rescue were critical in sustaining the scope and continuity of the yearlong investigation,” the D.A.’s office said.

Operation Volcano was principally focused on tracing and tracking illicit material and distribution networks online.

It was unclear whether any victims who surfaced in the videos and pictures seized by investigators had been located and provided assistance.