Four arrested in Forrest County for exploitation of minors

Operation Sweet Tooth, a cyber crime operation carried out last week in Forrest County, led to four arrests for the exploitation or enticement of minors.

The Mississippi Attorney General’s Office manages and operates the Mississippi Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force which, in partnership with the Forrest County Sheriff’s Office and various other local, state and federal agencies, executed five search warrants and made four arrests in the operation. Information and evidence is still being gathered in multiple ongoing investigations which may lead to additional arrests.

“My Office is committed to keeping Mississippi’s children safe from those who would harm them physically, mentally, and emotionally, and rob them of their innocence,” Attorney General Lynn Fitch said. “I am grateful to the dedicated prosecutors and investigators of this Office and our partners in local, state, and federal law enforcement for their work on this operation and every day to clear the Internet of child predators.”

In 2020, the MS ICAC Task Force received 1,383 CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which administers the national CyberTipline.

If you have information about a child being sexually exploited online, please report it to 1-800-843-5678 or online at www.cybertipline.org.