“The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”
“Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”
“I am proud of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, who work tirelessly to bring to justice those that exploit children,” said Acting United States Attorney Chad Meacham. “United with their efforts, this Office will continue to aggressively prosecute these offenders.”
“Criminals who prey on children threaten the sanctity of our communities, and this operation highlights the FBI’s efforts to dismantle the threat,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The strength of each member of the North Texas Child Exploitation Task Force is crucial to protecting the most vulnerable, and together we will pursue offenders to the fullest extent of the law.”
Those arrested by the FBI and charged in the Northern District of Texas as part of Operation Restore Justice include:
Angel Ramirez Flores, arrested in Lamesa, Texas by the FBI with assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety. Flores has been charged in the Northern District of Texas with Attempted Transfer of Obscene Material to Minors. If convicted, he faces up to ten years in federal prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jen Schrauth is prosecuting the case.
Michael Huffman, arrested in Fort Worth, Texas by the FBI with assistance from the Fort Worth Police Department. Huffman has been charged in the Northern District of Texas with Distribution of Child Pornography. If convicted, he faces a minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison. According to court documents, agents discovered Huffman sitting in his driveway with his laptop logged into one of the platforms used to view sexually explicit images of minors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aisha Saleem is prosecuting the case.
Otho Earl London, arrested in Azle, Texas by the FBI with assistance of the FBI Dallas SWAT. London has been charged in the Northern District of Texas with Possession of Child Pornography. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aisha Saleem is prosecuting the case.
Harold Lee Hill, arrested in Rockwall, Texas by the FBI with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety, Rockwall Police Department, Dallas County (Arkansas) Sheriff’s Office, and Arkansas State Patrol. Hill has been charged in the Northern District of Texas with Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity. If convicted, he faces up to life in federal prison. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle A. Winters and Claire Demers are prosecuting the case.
Jose Lizandro Trevino Rodriguez, arrested in Dallas by the FBI with the assistance of the Dallas Police Department. Rodriguez has been charged in the Northern District of Texas with Distribution of Child Pornography. If convicted, he faces a minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandie Wade is prosecuting the case.
Emmanuel Jacobo Reyes, of Raleigh, North Carolina, arrested in Raleigh, NC by the FBI and the Raleigh Police Department. Reyes has been charged in the Northern District of Texas with Production of Child Pornography. If convicted, he faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allyson Monte is prosecuting the case.
Robert Rayel, of Benbrook, Texas, arrested in Florida by FBI Tampa - Pinellas County Resident Agency. Rayel has been charged in the Northern District of Texas with Attempted Sexual Exploitation, which carries a penalty of imprisonment from 15 to 30 years; Possession of Child Pornography, for which he faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment; and Receipt of Child Pornography, with an imprisonment range of five to 20 years in federal prison, if convicted. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aisha Saleem is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendants mentioned above are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Like those charged in the Northern District of Texas, others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.
In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.
This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.
The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
