The Arkansas State Police announces the results of two initiatives through its Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

According to a release from the ASP, in April, the department participated in the nationwide SOS initiative, joining all 61 ICAC Task Forces and their affiliates across the United States on proactive investigations into the trafficking of child sexual abuse material. Another operation in May, Operation Cookie Crumbs was a state-led initiative inspired by the concept of browser cookies, focusing on tracking digital traces left by offenders. 

The two operations combined to save over a dozen children plus led to over 80 arrests. 

An example of a joint effort with the ASP Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force was discussed at a recent Harrison City Council Meeting, in which Harrison Police Chief Chris Graddy talked about an investigation involving Harrison Detective Ted Schaeffer working with a special agent of the Arkansas State Police in Sharp County that let to two arrests and four children taken into state protective custody. Graddy said the investigation led to the two people, including the mother of one of the victims, being charged with Sexual Grooming of a Minor. 

The full release from the ASP can be read below:

The Arkansas State Police (ASP) Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, in partnership with local, state, and federal agencies, has announced the successful completion of two primary operations, Operation Safe Online Summer (SOS) and Operation Cookie Crumbs, targeting online child exploitation.

These initiatives, conducted throughout April and May 2025, resulted in dozens of arrests, multiple child rescues, and significant advances in the fight against internet-facilitated crimes against children.

From April 1 to April 30, 2025, the ASP ICAC Task Force participated in the nationwide SOS initiative, joining all 61 ICAC Task Forces and their affiliates across the United States. The operation focused on proactive investigations into the trafficking of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), identifying offenders exploiting children online, and increasing community prevention efforts through public outreach and education.

During the month-long SOS campaign, the Arkansas ICAC Task Force:

Opened 76 investigations
Made 54 arrests, including four hands-on offenders
Rescued 13 children from ongoing abuse
Identified 24 new child victims
Submitted 39 cases for prosecution
Executed 86 search warrants
Examined over 248 devices, and analyzed more than 13 terabytes of data.
Running from May 1 to May 16, 2025, Operation Cookie Crumbs was a state-led initiative inspired by the concept of browser cookies, focusing on tracking digital traces left by offenders. Led by ASP and the Arkansas Department of Corrections’ Division of Community Correction, this operation concentrated on monitoring known offenders, identifying emerging threats, and conducting compliance checks.

Results from Operation Cookie Crumbs include:

20 investigations opened
28 arrests, including one hands-on offender
One victim rescued and two new child victims identified
12 cases submitted for prosecution
31 residential compliance checks conducted
70 devices examined and over five terabytes of data analyzed
In addition to enforcement actions, the ICAC Task Force and its partners conducted public outreach and educational presentations to equip Arkansas communities with the knowledge and tools to recognize and report online threats to children.

The Arkansas ICAC Task Force encourages anyone with information about the online exploitation of children to report it immediately to local law enforcement or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline at www.cybertipline.org.