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The numbers are in, and they should stop every parent in their tracks.

In 2025, reports of online enticement increased by 156%, child s*x trafficking reports surpassed 105,000, and NCMEC received more than 1.5 million reports involving generative AI and child s*xual exploitation.

But here's what those numbers really mean:
More children are being approached by predators online. More children are being manipulated, groomed, and exploited through devices they use every day. More offenders are using technology, including AI, to target children in ways many parents have never imagined. The greatest threat to a child is no longer limited to someone standing nearby.

Today, it can come through a gaming platform, a social media app, a DM, or a phone sitting safely in their bedroom. These are not someone else's children. They are our children.

At Operation Light Shine, we remain committed to equipping investigators, advancing technology, strengthening partnerships, and supporting the professionals working every day to identify victims, hold offenders accountable, and protect children before they become another statistic.

The technology is evolving.
The threat is growing.
Our commitment to protecting children remains unwavering.

Blackfoot man charged with lewd conduct and child s*x abuse after 13-year-old girl tells police - East Idaho News POCATELLO — A 36-year-old man is facing multiple felony charges of s*xual abuse of a child after a 13-year-old girl reported the assault to law enforcement. Richard Ray Vernieu is facing two felony counts of lewd conduct with a minor and two felony counts of s*xual abuse of a child under the age o...

On behalf of the United States Marshals Service Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force (PNVOTF):

Spokane Valley Man on Probation for Distribution of Child Po*******hy, Arrested for Violating Probation

Spokane, Washington - On June 2, 2026, members of the United States Marshals Service Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force, in close collaboration with the Spokane County Sheriff's Office the Spokane Valley Police Department the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Spokane Child Exploitation/Human Trafficking Task Force, and the United States Probation Office, arrested Clifford Kelsey at a residence located in the 13500 block of East 25th Avenue in Spokane Valley, Washington.

Kelsey was wanted on a federal felony arrest warrant issued by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington for violating the terms and conditions of his federal probation. His probation supervision stems from a 2015 federal conviction for Distribution of Child Po*******hy, 18 USC 2252A(a)(2).

On May 31, 2026, Spokane County Sheriff's Office - Sexual Assault Unit responded to Kelsey’s residence to assist Spokane Valley patrol deputies with a residential search warrant of the residence, after intelligence was developed by the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office (Oregon) indicating Kelsey was likely not complying with the terms and conditions of his federal supervision. The suspect's bedroom was searched, and as a result, nine items were seized, pending additional search warrants.

It is alleged Kelsey violated conditions of his probation by possessing s*xually explicit photos and possessing six unapproved and unmonitored electronic devices that were capable of receiving, storing, or otherwise possessing materials with depictions of s*xually explicit conduct. Task force members and law enforcement officers coordinated investigative efforts, located Kelsey at his residence, and safely took him into custody without incident.

“This arrest reflects the strength of our partnerships and the teamwork that exists between our local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and it underscores our unified commitment to protecting children and the community.” stated U.S. Marshal Craig Thayer. “Through close collaboration with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, the Spokane Valley Police Department, FBI Spokane Child Exploitation/Human Trafficking Task Force, and the United States Probation Office, we were able to safely locate and apprehend this offender.”

If additional criminal conduct is discovered, the FBI Spokane Child Exploitation/Human Trafficking Task Force and the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office will investigate further.

The arrest was conducted by members of the United States Marshals Service Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force (PNVOTF), the FBI, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, the Spokane Valley Police Department, the United States Border Patrol, the United States Probation Office, and the Washington State Department of Corrections.
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The Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force is a U.S. Marshals-led partnership comprising federal, state, and local law enforcement officers from Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. The task force’s primary mission is to locate, arrest and return to the justice system the most violent and egregious federal and state fugitives.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the nearest U.S. Marshals office, the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102, or USMS Tips at www.usmarshals.gov/tips.

A massive two-month law enforcement operation in Texas has resulted in the arrest of 276 suspects and the rescue of 89 children from online exploitation. MORE BELOW ⬇️