For Immediate Release                 

December 15, 2014
 
ORLANDO, Fla. - The FDLE Cyber Crime Task Force today arrested 16 individuals during  Operation Cyber Claws, an operation that focused on child pornography suspects and registered sex offenders on probation.  The operation was conducted by the FDLE task force in partnership with the Florida Department of Corrections Office of Community Corrections.  The FDLE Orlando Cyber Crime Task Force member agencies include the sheriff’s offices from Brevard and Osceola counties, as well as the Clermont, Altamonte Springs, Kissimmee, and Winter Springs Police Departments and Homeland Security Investigations.  Operation Cyber Claws ran from Dec. 8 through Dec. 12. 
 
“As our children have extra time over the holidays, the Task Force is aggressively investigating cyber criminals who are trying to take advantage of no school,” said FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey.  “I urge parents to continue monitoring their children’s internet activity.”
 
As part of Operation Cyber Claws, the task force partnered with Florida Department of Corrections Office of Community Corrections sending task force members trained in computer forensics along with probation officers to probation visits.  Five offenders were arrested as part of the operation.
 
“We are proud to collaborate with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in our combined mission to protect Florida’s children and families,” said Florida Department of Corrections Interim Secretary Tim Cannon.
 
The FDLE Cyber Crime Task Force formed three years ago and routinely investigates child pornography cases. 
 
Collectively, suspects were charged with 33 counts of possession of child pornography, 17 counts of possession of material depicting the sexual performance of a child, one count of failure to comply with sex offender conditions, three counts of distribution of child pornography, six counts violation of probation, five counts of accessing the internet via telephone, and one count each of possession of morphine, diazepam, cannabis, and drug paraphernalia. 
 
Please visit the Secure Florida website to review tips for keeping your children safe online at: http://secureflorida.org/2011/family/best_practices_for_parents/.
 
 
For Further Information Contact:
Gretl Plessinger, Samantha Andrews, Steve Arthur or Chantal Hauser
FDLE Office of Public Information
(850) 410-7001
(407) 269-9080