The arrests culminated from a meticulous undercover operation spanning months…reports Asian Lite News
New Mexico’s Attorney General, Raúl Torrez, unveiled charges on Wednesday against three individuals accused of exploiting Meta’s social media platforms to target and solicit minors for sex, media reported.
These arrests culminated from a meticulous undercover operation spanning months, orchestrated by the state Department of Justice, wherein decoy accounts were utilized to ensnare suspects, according to Associated Press report.
This probe commenced in December, coinciding with the state’s civil lawsuit against Meta, alleging the company’s negligence in implementing basic safety measures to safeguard children on its platforms.
During a press briefing, Attorney General Torrez disclosed that the suspects engaged in explicit communication and exchanged lewd content via Facebook’s messenger app, blatantly expressing their sexual interest in minors.
Torrez underscored the ease with which these individuals accessed the decoy personas, highlighting the gravity of such threats and urging heightened vigilance from society.
Blaming Meta’s executives, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Torrez accused the company of prioritizing profits over the welfare of children and parents.
He expressed frustration with Meta’s purported assurances and urged a more proactive stance in combating such nefarious activities.
Meta rebuffed these allegations, reiterating its commitment to leveraging technology to thwart suspicious interactions between adults and minors on its platforms.
The company asserted its collaboration with law enforcement agencies in investigating and prosecuting offenders, alongside initiatives such as hiring child safety experts and reporting content to relevant authorities.
While the state attorney general’s office continues its pursuit of child predators, Torrez refrained from speculating on the impact of these efforts on the ongoing civil litigation against Meta.
As part of this legal battle, prosecutors claim to have unearthed internal Meta documents estimating that approximately 100,000 children face sexual harassment daily on the company’s platforms.
The defendants in the criminal case, identified as Fernando Clyde, Marlon Kellywood, and Christopher Reynolds, face charges including solicitation of minors via electronic communication devices.
Prosecutors seek their detention pending trial, although hearings are pending, and legal representation for Clyde and Kellywood remains unconfirmed. Efforts to reach Reynolds’ legal counsel through the public defender’s office are underway.
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