San Fernando Valley Resident Among 113 Alleged Child Predators Arrested In ICE Crackdown

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - A San Fernando Valley resident accused of distributing child pornography through direct messages on Twitter was among more than a hundred arrested in a federal crackdown on child predators.

Officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) on Nov. 4 executed a search warrant at a West Hills home for possession and distribution of child pornography, ICE announced Thursday.

The investigation was launched by HSI Northridge based on information indicating that someone at the residence had used Twitter direct messaging to distribute files of child pornography, authorities said.

A total of 113 arrests were made across several U.S. cities, including Denver; Panama City, Florida; Nashville and Knoxville, Tenn.; and Pittsburgh.

The raid were conducted Nov. 2-6 in collaboration with Brazilian authorities as part of Operation Protected Childhood, according to ICE.

"Thank you to our Brazilian partners for their unwavering efforts over the last five years to combat child exploitation through Operation Protected Childhood. And to our partners who have most recently joined our operation, we look forward to the continued fight and relentless effort to put a stop to this horrific crime," said ICE Attaché for Brazil and Bolivia, Robert Fuentes Jr.