FAIRFAX, Va. -- An online sting operation in northern Virginia has resulted in the arrests of 30 men charged with trolling the Internet to solicit sex from minors.
Fairfax County Police called the sting Operation COVID Crackdown.
They said school closures and stay-at-home orders to combat the coronavirus have increased children’s online presence and their vulnerability to exploitation along with it.
Police said Tuesday that the men who were arrested used the Internet to initiate explicit conversations and solicit sex from police officers posing as children.
Each of the suspects agreed to meet their targets in person at specified locations. Detectives arrested the men when they showed up.
