On Wednesday, the results of Operation Restore Justice were announced.
The operation was a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest alleged child sex predators.
According to the Justice Department, over 115 children were rescued and over 205 alleged child sexual abuse offenders were arrested in over five days, including two from Maryland.
29-year-old Donald Robert Wilt Edwards of Baltimore and Joel Thomas Biermann of University Park, Maryland, were taken into custody.
Edwards was indicted for sexually exploiting a minor and is charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, three counts of distribution of child sexual abuse material, and one count of possession of child sexual abuse material.
Biermann was also indicted for multiple child exploitation offenses and is charged with two counts of producing child sexual abuse material, one count of distributing child sexual abuse material, and one count of possessing child sexual abuse material.
“The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”
“Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”
“Operation Restore Justice signifies the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland’s commitment to ensuring that those who exploit or abuse our children will be found, prosecuted, and brought to justice,” said Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland. “Protecting the most vulnerable members of our community is among our highest priorities, and we will continue to work closely with our community and law enforcement partners to ensure that predators are held accountable. Our office is committed to pursuing justice for every victim.”
