FBI targets child predators in Operation Restore Justice

CHICAGO (WGN) — It’s being called Operation Restore Justice, the FBI’s effort to get accused sexual predators off the street. 

The large-scale endeavor targeted individuals accused of child sex offenses, many of whom are believed to have found their targets online. Arrests made include the states of California, Maryland, and Illinois.  

According to this federal complaint, one of the men arrested in Chicago, William Solis, is believed to have purchased more than 1,000 pornographic child images. Some of the victims are pictured as young as 4 years old. That’s one case, but there are hundreds of others, explains FBI’s assistant special agent in charge in Chicago, Robert Wieczorek, who sat down with WGN Investigates to describe the work his office does every day. 

“We do that by educating parents on how to better safeguard their children. We continue to work with our state, local, and federal partners…and by arresting sexual predators,” Wieczorek said.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi promised to seek the maximum penalty possible. As such, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is taking the lead in the investigation, with 55 FBI offices around the country playing a role, making it clear that abuses involving children will take a top priority.