The Indiana State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force launched Operation Guardian Angel this August to step up efforts against online child exploitation as students returned to school. The initiative focused on proactive investigations, including peer-to-peer file sharing and undercover chats, to identify victims of hands-on abuse and bring offenders to justice. In August alone, ICAC handled 252 reactive investigations, 36 proactive cases, and received 2,233 CyberTips. From January through August, more than 16,000 tips were reported. The operation led to 48 arrests, including 14 identified as hands-on offenders and six registered sex offenders. Fourteen children were rescued from ongoing abuse, while 57 others were newly identified as victims. Prevention remained a key priority, with ICAC conducting 86 presentations that reached more than 8,500 people statewide. More information about the ICAC initiative is available at internetcrimesagainstkids.com
