MIAMI – The FBI’s Miami Field Office is holding a news conference Thursday to discuss a massive nationwide operation that resulted in the arrests of 205 alleged sex abuse suspects last week alone, including in South Florida.
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According to the FBI, Operation Restore Justice was a five-day operation to protect children across the country and mark April’s National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
The FBI Miami Field Office was involved in the following arrests:
- Benjamin Tokoma Sanders, 23, of Oakland Park, was arrested April 30 by FBI Miami in a joint investigation with the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
- Tre’Anthony Roberts, 25, of Miami, was arrested on May 1 by FBI Jacksonville and the Tallahassee Police Department.
- Katriel Victor Marmol, 57, of Davie, was arrested on May 1 by FBI Miami based on a joint investigation with the Davie Police Department.
- Dariel Manresa, 34, of Pembroke Pines, was arrested on May 1 by FBI Miami based on a joint investigation with the Pembroke Pines Police Department.
- William Neal, 44, of Tampa, was arrested on May 2 by FBI Tampa and FBI Miami.
- Brian Jones, 38, of Evanston, Illinois, was arrested on May 2 by FBI Chicago.
“There is nothing more despicable than those who carry out crimes against the most innocent among us - our children,” said Ryan James, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami. “That is why our agents, analysts, and task force officers work tirelessly to bring to justice those individuals responsible for such heinous crimes. I commend our fellow law enforcement agencies for their professionalism and close cooperation with these arrests to include the Tallahassee PD, the Davie PD, Pembroke Pines PD, Broward Sheriff’s Office, and our FBI offices in Chicago, Jacksonville, and Tampa.”
In addition to arresting 205 suspects last week, the FBI says it also rescued 115 children across the U.S.
The suspects are accused of various crimes, “including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking,” the FBI stated in a news release.
According to the news release, in addition to the 205 people arrested last week, “throughout the entire month of April, the FBI along with our state and local law enforcement partners, additionally arrested more than 190 perpetrators on charges related to crimes against children. With nearly 400 arrests in one month, these actions are the direct result of the FBI’s continued efforts to track down and stop sexual predators before they can harm more victims.”
FBI agents said some alleged perpetrators were captured with assistance from parents and community outreach efforts, and in one case, a California man was arrested hours after a young victim reported her alleged abuse to the FBI.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) receives and shares tips with the FBI about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The FBI also launched the Endangered Child Alert Program (ECAP) in 2004 to identify those involved in the sexual abuse of children.