National child-porn Law enforcement officers from the FBI and local police departments in Hawaii and Guam conducted six searches yesterday in Operation Candyman, a nationwide crackdown on the spread of child pornography over the Internet, said Honolulu FBI Agent-in-Charge Dan Dzwilewski.
crackdown nets
arrests in Hawaii
Searches were held on 3 islands
as part of Operation CandymanBy Nelson Daranciang
ndaranciang@starbulletin.comIn Hawaii the searches were conducted on the Big Island, Kauai and Oahu. Dzwilewski would not say how many people were arrested here, but said all are men. He said not all the searches resulted in arrests.
People suspected of involvement come from a cross-section of life, just as those identified as subjects of Operation Candyman nationwide, Dzwilewski said.
Those arrested or under investigation in 25 states and Hawaii include Little League coaches, a teacher's aide, guidance counselor, school bus driver, foster care parent and professionals in the medical, educational, military and law enforcement fields, the FBI said.
Yesterday, the FBI announced more than 89 people were charged as the result of more than 266 searches conducted in the first phase of Operation Candyman, a yearlong undercover investigation spearheaded by the FBI's Houston Child Exploitation Task Force and the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Texas.
The Hawaii and Guam investigation is being conducted by the Crimes Against Children Task Force, which includes the FBI, U.S. Customs Service, all county police departments and the state Attorney General's Office. Dzwilewski said the investigation is ongoing and will result in more arrests.