Washington operation ‘Net Nanny’ brings in another 16 sexual predators

An ongoing operation in Washington that’s led to the arrests of hundreds of suspected sexual predators saw another 16 get scooped up in Yakima County.

‘Net Nanny’ sting nets 21 child predator arrests in Pierce County

The 16 new arrests were part of a multi-day collaborative effort involving Washington State Patrol, Yakima Police Department, Yakima County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, the Washington State Attorney General’s Office, and more.

This latest operation was the 17th to fall under the “Net Nanny” umbrella, that’s seen 287 total arrests of suspected sexual predators since it started in 2015. Thirty-one children have been rescued over that period.

This is all led by WSP’s Missing and Exploited Children Task Force (MECTF), which aims to “proactively target those persons involved in child abuse and child exploitation via the internet.”

“Working with our local, state, and federal partners in law enforcement in operations like Net Nanny, we use every available resource to pursue the guilty and protect the innocent,” WSP Chief John R. Batiste said in a news release. “This operation is aimed at protecting our vulnerable children and making our communities safer.”

Sting nets 10 arrests plus guns, drugs, cash

The most recent suspects arrested range between 18 and 67 years old, originating from the Everett, Yakima, and Kennewick among other cities. The operation involved over 70 officers, agents, and staff, spread out over at least 10 separate agencies.

In February, “Net Nanny” led to the arrest of three JBLM active military members. Between Feb. 15-20, undercover officers contacted hundreds of suspects online, almost two-dozen of whom traveled to meet those detectives, thinking they were underage girls or boys as young as six years old.

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