In Latin America, law enforcement continues to confront the growing spread of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). These horrific cases often begin with a tip online and lead police to discover real sexual abuse involving children. A recent series of four “Operation Guardian” cases, supported by Our Rescue in Ecuador and Chile, highlight how coordinated investigations, digital intelligence, and in-country support are essential in helping authorities identify suspected predators, rescue children, and build cases that bring perpetrators to justice .
Operation Digital 1:
In Ecuador, authorities identified a man who exploited a familial relationship with a minor to commit sexual abuse and produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Police carried out a rescue operation that led to the arrest of two individuals and the rescue of two children. The perpetrator was later found guilty and sentenced to a term of 38 years in prison.
Operation Digital 2:
Subsequently, in Ecuador, efforts to combat CSAM continued as law enforcement initiated an additional operation within a broader regional enforcement initiative. In partnership with the Attorney General’s Office, the Ecuadorian National Police Cybercrimes Unit (CiberPOL), acted on a report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The tip originally came from a service provider. Investigators traced the activity to a suspect storing and distributing CSAM through an online account.
During the operation, officers arrested the suspect and seized multiple devices that contained approximately 500 files of CSAM.
Operation Digital 3:
On another occasion, Ecuadorian law enforcement carried out an operation based on evidence that investigators had developed, which indicated a suspect was not only in possession of CSAM but was also producing it. The suspect, a 47-year-old man, was producing CSAM by sexually abusing a child in his family. During the operation, authorities arrested the man and rescued the child, who was placed with extended family. Officers also seized several devices containing about 100 files of CSAM.
Operation Digital 4:
Then, in Chile, between September 22 and 25, Chile’s Investigative Police (PDI) executed five search warrants targeting individuals suspected of possessing CSAM. The operation resulted in the arrest of two men and officers seized multiple mobile devices containing the illicit material as part of the investigation.
Operations like these focus on finding predators, collecting evidence, and ensuring that the children who are being exploited are located and connected to appropriate survivor care. Our Rescue assists law enforcement and survivor care organizations in cases like these by coordinating resources and offering support to ensure timely operations and arrests.
Across the region, our efforts continue to strengthen investigative capacity, support coordinated rescue operations, and ensure that survivors impacted by these crimes are not overlooked in the process.
Donor support makes all of this possible. Your gift today could help connect a child to safety and healing tomorrow.
