The month-long statewide operation resulted in 244 arrests in Texas for online child exploitation.
DALLAS — A statewide law enforcement operation aimed at combating online child exploitation led to the rescue of 109 children and 244 arrests, according to a joint announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas, the North Texas Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and the FBI Dallas Division.
The month-long operation, named Operation Soteria Shield, was conducted in April 2025. It involved more than 70 Texas law enforcement agencies and was supported by the National Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Agencies participating in the joint effort included several North Texas police departments, along with the FBI and local ICAC task forces.
Investigators focused on identifying and apprehending individuals involved in the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material. Law enforcement officials also seized large volumes of digital evidence, including terabytes of illicit content stored on electronic devices, the announcement said. The devices are undergoing forensic analysis, and authorities say further arrests and victim identifications are possible.
According to federal officials, the operation has already led to multiple grand jury indictments in the Eastern District of Texas for charges related to the distribution of child pornography and the sexual exploitation of minors.
“The numbers of offenders arrested and children rescued in this operation are significant,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jay Combs. “We remain committed to investigating and prosecuting these crimes to protect children from online sexual exploitation.”
The operation was coordinated with assistance from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), whose analysts provided intelligence and case coordination.
Officials emphasized that Operation Soteria Shield illustrates the impact of coordinated interagency collaboration in addressing child exploitation crimes. The effort represents one of the largest operations of its kind conducted in Texas in recent years.