A yearlong investigation by several Montgomery County law enforcement agencies into the distribution of child sexual abuse material resulted in the arrest of 28 people and the rescue of 19 children.
According to information from the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, during the investigation dubbed “Operation Hydra,” detectives rescued the children who had been sexually abused or exploited by people from 17 states who made sex abuse material available in Montgomery County.
“Over the last 12 months, detectives with the Montgomery County division of the Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force monitored chat groups on a popular social media application,” said Mike Holley, first assistant with the district attorney’s office. “The defendants were identified as participants in various group chats dedicated to distributing child sexual abuse material. Most of the defendants posted illicit images to the groups.”
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Holley said some defendants were administrators of the groups and controlled who could access the groups.
“These cases underscore the fact that such crimes often cross jurisdictional boundaries, spanning counties, states and even countries,” Holley said.
Detectives used advanced investigative techniques to identify and located the individuals involved and worked with authorities in those jurisdictions to arrest the defendants, Holley said.
Holley called the operation a “stark reminder” of the realities of child sexual exploitation and the availability of child sexual abuse material on the internet.
Operation Hydra was spearheaded by the Montgomery County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office along with the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office and included officials with the Montgomery County Constables’ offices, the Conroe Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshal Service and the Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
