Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrests 10 in ‘Operation Shining Light’

CLAY COUNTY, Fla — In Clay County, law enforcement is cracking down on suspects attempting to sexually exploit minors online.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office said ‘Operation Shining Light led to the arrests of 10 people, who now face serious charges.

The sheriff’s office said it made those arrests in an effort to protect children.

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“My top priorities are safeguarding our children from harm and holding perpetrators accountable for their actions,” said Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook.

And with a four-day operation, that’s exactly what the sheriff’s office said it was able to do.

“Our chatters pretended to be 13- or 14-year-old children,” said Sheriff Cook.” During the operation, they successfully identified several suspects who were engaged in these activities.”

Some of the charges include soliciting a child for unlawful sexual conduct using computer services or devices and unlawful use of a two-way communications device.

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Three out of the 10 people are facing federal charges.

Sheriff Cook said this operation was a thorough investigation and collaboration between law enforcement agencies at the local, state and federal levels across the country.

This is the message the sheriff wants to share with parents:

“Your job as a parent is to protect your children,” said Sheriff Cook. “And unfortunately, in today’s technology age suspects, people who want to hurt your kids are accessing them through social media and through any device that has Internet access.”

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