The Tallahassee Police Department, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and state and federal law enforcement agencies announced Tuesday over a dozen arrests in a sting operation against people looking to exploit children.
The arrests were part of Operation Rabbit Hole, a multi-agency undercover operation that targeted individuals who prey on children online.
Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell said at a press conference Tuesday the operation arrested 16 people who were trying to groom children online then meet up with them in person. Law enforcement posed as children on social media sites where those arrested allegedly were seeking targets.
“Our agency will not tolerate this kind of predatory behavior, and we will continue to use every resource available to identify and arrest those responsible,” he said.
While TPD and the other agencies are going to continue their work, Revell is recommending parents take a proactive role in preventing their children from being targeted. He recommends parents pay attention to their child’s online activity and talk to them about the dangers online predators pose.
“A lot of times, as parents, we don't want to talk to our kids about these type of things. They're just they're tough conversations,” he said. “But in this day and time you have to have those conversations, you have to let them know that these predators are out there. They're pretending to be children, and they're going to to work and groom the child until they get what they want.”
Their work is ongoing, as officers say their fake child accounts had attempted interactions by at least 100 people online.