Thirty-five individuals faced arrest in Kenner during a multi-agency sweep targeting registered sex offenders using banned online platforms.
The Louisiana Attorney General’s Office announced the results of Operation Safe Networks, which ran between August and October 2026, jambalayanews.com reported. The sweep involved local, state, and federal agencies coordinated by the Orleans Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Investigators targeted convicted sex offenders who were legally prohibited from using social media and gaming networks. Attorney General Liz Murrill explained that agents did not need to prove direct communication with a child to investigate a violation of those restrictions.
Authorities also flagged potential sex offender registry infractions and other crimes during the operation.
“The information extracted from their devices can provide new pistas,” Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley said, according to jambalayanews.com.
Conley said that the ICAC lab analyzes seized electronics to locate individuals sharing child sexual abuse material. Investigators cross-reference those findings with server data and reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Suspects operated across 16 different digital applications and gaming services. The identified platforms include Facebook, X, Instagram, PlayStation, Xbox, Telegram, Discord, YouTube, Snapchat, WhatsApp, TikTok, Threads, Fanbase, LinkedIn, Whatnot, and Zangi.
Undercover operations helped discover new applications utilized by suspects, according to ICAC Commander Chris Masters.
Murrill said that the statewide ICAC network expanded from eight partner agencies at the start of her term to 83 agencies.
Statewide ICAC units received more than 46,000 reports this year alone. Those figures yielded more than 600 arrests and the rescue of 80 children from ongoing abuse, separate from the 35 arrests announced in Kenner.
Law enforcement officials stressed that police presence alone cannot stop digital threats from reaching children at home. Murrill urged parents to monitor devices, track contacts and video games, and teach children that online identities can be fabricated.
Conley warned that physical police patrols outside a home cannot prevent threats from entering through a screen. Murrill added that effective protection relies on parental involvement, communication, and supervision to complement the work of law enforcement agencies.