A child porn investigation led to the arrests of more than 40 people across Riverside County.
The year-long operation, dubbed "Operation Volcano," led investigators to identify upwards of 500 people online linked to child exploitation.
Law enforcement focused their efforts on 42 high-risk targets, including registered sex offenders.
Liam Doyle, a supervising investigator with the Riverside County District Attorney's Office, said he was surprised by those who were arrested, adding that they were people who have respected careers, such as local government officials.
“We had a couple of doctors on there. Vice presidents of tech companies. People who work in law enforcement in the criminal justice system,” he said.
Although more arrests are expected, Doyle urged parents them to monitor their children's activity on phones and computers due to the persistence of online predators.
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