Crime & Safety
Dozens indicted on child sex crimes in Oklahoma after multiagency operation
The Center Square – Dozens of people have been indicted on child sex crime charges after a multi agency and multi state operation, Operation Clean Sweep…
By Bethany Blankley · 2026-09-22T01:35:42.079Z
The Center Square – Dozens of people have been indicted on child sex crime charges after a multi agency and multi state operation, Operation Clean Sweep III, was conducted in the Northern District of Oklahoma.
U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Dallas Field Office was involved. ICE Dallas is one of the largest field offices in the country, which covers all of Oklahoma. Operation Clean Sweep III was conducted in partnership with the Tornado Alley Child Exploitation and Trafficking Task Force, TACETT.
ICE HSI created TACETT to bring together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners to identify, investigate and prosecute child exploitation offenses. More than 25 law enforcement agencies participated in the operation, which began in March.
“Operation Clean Sweep reflects HSI’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and holding predators accountable,” HSI Dallas Deputy Special Agent in Charge Antwoine Jones said https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice hsi dallas investigation targets child exploitation oklahoma . “This operation brought together law enforcement partners at every level with one mission: identify victims, remove them from harm and pursue justice against those who exploit children. HSI Dallas will continue working with our partners to ensure these investigations continue.”
From March through August, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma received referrals from eight counties in the district, resulting in 66 cases being opened for investigation. So far, 39 defendants have been charged by complaint or indicted; investigations are ongoing.
Of those charged, 26 were charged with possessing child sexual abuse material; eight were charged with producing child sexual abuse material; nine were charged with coercion and enticement for allegedly using phones and applications to target children.
Investigators identified and rescued 21 children from defendants excluding the children depicted in child sexual abuse material. Law enforcement agencies are continuing to partner with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to identify additional victims.
From January through August, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children sent 8,621 CyberTips to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children unit. Out of these tips, 2,086 cases were opened for investigation. Law enforcement partners in the northern district received 586 cases to investigate.
Multiple agencies were involved in Operation Clean Sweep, including, the U.S. Marshals Service, Muscogee Creek Nation Lighthorse Police Department, Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, Pawnee County Sheriff’s Office and Quapaw Nation Marshal Service. Part of the investigation involved them conducting compliance checks on nearly 1,000 people in 10 counties who are required to register as sex offenders in the district. Nearly all were.
U.S. Attorney Chris Nassar said, “Investigations and prosecutions will continue on every open matter that has not yet been charged. The team that built this operation is not standing down. The experience, the relationships, and the enforcement effort will continue. We will keep bringing child predators to justice in the Northern District of Oklahoma.”
Members of the public are encouraged to contact 911 and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800 843 5678 if they or someone they know are a victim of child exploitation.
The center says its cyber tipline https://report.cybertip.org/ is also an important way to report child sexual exploitation. It has also published https://report.cybertip.org/other resources a range of resources to help victims and families.
This story originally appeared on thecentersquare.com https://www.thecentersquare.com/oklahoma/article df49b628 ac7c 41c8 8529 bb28b93afd9d.html .