Operation OPEN YOUR EYES
During a search warrant on Nov. 12, 2014, five adults were arrested in Cucuta, Colombia for pimping minors and pornography with minors. This criminal network used a website called “Chaturbate” to manipulate four teenagers to have sexual intercourse online to generate economic profits. The victims of these crimes are under protection of the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare for the restoration of their rights and constitutional guarantees.
Five people were arrested as a result of this operation.
Operation CYBER PALENCIA
During a search warrant on Dec. 11, 2014 in Cucuta, Colombia, one adult was arrested for pornography with minors and for using and providing media for offering sexual intercourse with minors.
According to statements and interviews with victims, in 2013 the predator posed as a porn star and used Facebook, Skype and various email accounts to attract children and teenagers in order to obtain obscene photographs and videos. The victims were then extorted by the threat of having their pictures made visible to their friends and family, unless they provided tablets, cell phones or their parents’ credit cards.
One person was arrested as a result of this operation.
Operation ORTHODONTIST
Date: Dec. 16, 2014
A dentist who acted independently in three clinics was captured in Soledad, Colombia. He offered free orthodontic treatments, gifts and cash to patients between 12 and 16 years old in exchange for sexual encounters.
The teenagers were contacted via Facebook, phone and text messages. The predator set a date with teenagers to have sexual encounters, carrying them in his vehicle to hotels, dental offices, his place of residence and surrounding tourist destinations in the city.
One person was arrested as a result of this operation.
Operation HOPE
During a search warrant on Feb. 10, 2015 in Buga, Colombia, one adult was arrested for pornography with minors.
Based on statements and interviews with victims, in 2014, this predator used social media to attract victims to obtain photographs and videos with obscene child content.
However, if victims deleted those users from theirs contacts or refused to continue with the sexual abuse, they were extorted by the threat of having the material obtained made visible to their friends and family.
One person was arrested as a result of this operation.
Operation BARTOLOMEO
Date: Feb. 13, 2015
Place: Puerto Colombia, Colombia
An Italian citizen was found guilty of committing crimes of sexual exploitation, trade and pornography with minors.
Information from three teenagers led to his arrest.
This predator took advantage of the poor conditions of the region and by using the name of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) he presumed to be working to help families. He used the NGO names in order to gain the attention of teenagers by satisfying their economic needs in exchange for sexual intercourse including footage.
In this operation one person was arrested and more than 15,000 videos with pornography contents of minors were seized.
Operation DIGNITY
Date: March 16, 2015
Place: Leticia, Colombia
From tracking and monitoring a pornographic video with a minor that was circulating in an Educational Institution through the social networks such as WhatsApp, Blackberry and USB devices, it was apprehended and arrested a teenager and an adult for crimes of pornography and sexual activities with minors.
Those individuals gained the victim’s trust and then took her to an isolated place, where the video was made and the victim was forced to have sexual intercourse.
As a result of this operation one person was arrested and one minor apprehended.