The Arkansas State Police (ASP) Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force has announced the successful conclusion of two major operations targeting online child exploitation: Operation Safe Online Summer (SOS) and Operation Cookie Crumbs. Together, these efforts led to dozens of arrests, multiple child rescues, and critical progress in protecting children from online predators.
Conducted in April 2025, Operation SOS was part of a nationwide initiative involving all 61 ICAC Task Forces. In Arkansas, the operation yielded:
- 76 investigations opened
- 54 arrests, including 4 hands-on offenders
- 13 children rescued
- 24 new victims identified
- 86 search warrants executed
- 39 cases submitted for prosecution
- 248 devices examined, with over 13 terabytes of data analyzed
In May, the ASP launched Operation Cookie Crumbs, a state-level effort focused on tracking digital footprints and monitoring known offenders. Highlights from the operation include:
- 20 investigations opened
- 28 arrests, including 1 hands-on offender
- 1 child rescued, with 2 new victims identified
- 12 cases submitted for prosecution
- 31 residential compliance checks
- 70 devices examined, totaling over 5 terabytes of data
In addition to enforcement, the ICAC Task Force expanded public education efforts across Arkansas to raise awareness about the signs of online child exploitation and how to report it.
Authorities encourage the public to report any suspected online exploitation of children to local law enforcement or through the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline at www.cybertipline.org.
