Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Daniel Edwards has reported that over the past three weeks, TPSO detectives participated with area law enforcement agencies in conducting a joint online undercover operation in an effort to capture internet child predators. The sting operation was hosted b the St. John Parish Sheriff's Office.

Law enforcement agencies involved in the operation were:

St. John Parish Sheriff's Office

Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office

Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office

St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office

Assumption Parish Sheriff's Office

St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office

Tickfaw Police Department

Kenner Police Department

Louisiana State Police

Louisiana Attorney General's Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force

U.S. Secret Service Louisiana Electronic and Financial Crimes Task Force

U.S. Probation and Parole

Over twenty detectives participated in the sting, which also serve as a training session for officers new to internet investigations. During the sting detectives posed online as children and entered online social networking sites. These detectives were contacted by men who were seeking to sexually exploit children.

Nine men were arrested during this operation. "Among those men arrested are several who were attempting to prey on Tangipahoa Parish children," stated Sheriff Edwards.

Amite resident, Chad Wayne Raborn Jr., 22 was charged with pornography involving juveniles and felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile. Raborn was a police officer employed by the Tickfaw Police Department. In an investigation initiated by the Tickaw Police, Rabor was found to have images of child pornography on his personal electronic equipment.

Supervisors at the Tickfaw Police turned over their findings to Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office detectives for further investigation. Detectives obtained a search warrant for Raborn's electronic equipment, and with the help of the St. John Parish Sheriff's Office High Tech Crime Unit, located images depicting children engaged in sexual activity. Detectives also discovered evidence that Raborn has engaged in sexual activities with an underaged juvenile. Raborn was arrested and booked into the Tangipahoa Parish Jail.

"I want to take this opportunity to remind parents and grandparents that the internet can be a dangerous place for children. Despite our aggressive efforts in arresting those who use the internet to prey on our children, we are still seeing a heavy volume of predatory activity online. While we in law enforcement continue to identify and arrest these predators, parents must also monitor their children's online activities closely," stated Sheriff Edwards.