Authorities arrest 42 in sweeping Inland Empire child sex exploitation operation
Key takeaways
- Among the suspects, authorities focused on those deemed to pose the highest risk.
- Violent online groups have allegedly abused hundreds of mostly female minor victims worldwide, according to Homeland Security Investigations.
- The operation began in March 2025 as part of a partnership between the Riverside County Child Exploitation Team and nonprofit organization Our Rescue, which focuses on combating child exploitation.
An arrest is made as part of Operation Volcano, a yearlong effort in Riverside County to dismantle online child sexual exploitation networks. (Riverside County district attorney) By Clara Harter Staff Writer Follow May 11, 2026 7:48 PM PT 1 3 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X Linked In Threads Reddit Whats App Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
A person wanted for child sexual assault, two corporate vice presidents and a child psychologist were among 42 people arrested in a sweeping child sexual exploitation bust in the Inland Empire, authorities announced Monday.
The effort, dubbed Operation Volcano, identified more than 500 suspected distributors of child sexual abuse images as part of an effort to dismantle regional networks exploiting minors, according to the Riverside County district attorney’s office.